Nuclear power plants and environmental protection

The discovery of radioactivity together with its industrial and technological applications was a scientific finding that had a significant impact on the history of the 20th century. The significance of the rapid development of nuclear physics is beyond dispute, mainly if we consider its use with peaceful purposes, namely, the production of electric power by nuclear power plants. It is a much-debated issue whether we need nuclear energy or not. In Hungary as well as elsewhere, the media has started to pay increasing attention to the future of energetics.

Mankind is in need of en increasing amount of energy, which is why the Earth’s carbohydrogen sources are swiftly decreasing. Within decades, we will use up fossil fuels formed over billions of years, while we have to face and get to know such new harmful concepts and phenomena as the greenhouse effect, acid rain, ozone depletion and various other adversities. The current achievements of science and technology offer only limited possibilities for the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro and solar power.

Nuclear power plants – if they are built to be as safe as possible and still affordable – are cleaner and more economical than conventional fossil fuel power plants. However, the operation of nuclear power plants requires extensive technological knowledge, discipline and an enormous sense of responsibility. The accidents of the past have shown that it is indispensable to raise the technological, organizational and personnel conditions of security to such a degree that reduces the chance of errors due to human negligence to the lowest level possible. It is also indispensable to provide accurate information for the public.

There are debates about the advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear energy to a greater extent, and also about the question of where to deposit radioactive waste. However, the issues concerning the non-nuclear environment protection of the power plant, such as the management of inactive waste, rarely come into the foreground.

These days, environmental rules and regulations are getting more and more rigorous. With Hungary entering the European Union, additional regulations must continuously be introduced. Therefore, corporations can only be successful in the market competition if they integrate these environmental aspects in their plans and strategies.

Conforming to future expectations, Paks Nuclear Power Plant has prepared its environmental policy, which asserts that the company will enhance its environmental activity in all fields, thus grounding its own and its partners’ market positions and competitive power in the long run.

The company’s plan concerning its future, accepted in 2004, set new aims by increasing the performance of the existing units and lengthening their life-span. In order to be able to put our plans into practice, we are ready to develop our environmental activity, in addition to observing the current environmental regulations and rules.