Likhachev noted that all obstacles to the Paks II project had been removed in the course of preparations and acquiring permits in past years. All conditions are in place for the construction to proceed according to plan, he added.

The investment is being accelerated, he said, adding that 140 Hungarian contractors were working on the construction. Next year, 2,000 people could be working on the project, he said. He added that Paks II was Rosatom's first project in the European Union.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade state secretary Levente Magyar said the first concrete could be poured at the site in a year.

Power plant equipment for Paks II "enjoys priority" in production, and all efforts will be made to ensure that equipment is made on time, Likhachev said. He noted that Hungarian companies would account for 40% of the value added of the project.

Rosatom said the construction of a concrete plant had been completed at the construction site, and the construction of a reinforcement products workshop was underway. Soil excavation down to five meters for the foundation pit of the number six block is underway, and similar work for the number five block has been completed.

The existing four blocks of the Paks plant account for about half of Hungary's electricity generation at present.