Due to the initiation of the government competence centers will support the construction of the new nuclear power plant blocks in Paks. One of the competence centers was decided to be established at the University of Dunaújváros.
The Center will focus on the specific questions of the nuclear power station construction, such as the questions of the applied structural materials, the material technologies and the assembly technologies with special attention to the welding and the desctructive and non-destructive material testing methods.
The technical education and research profile of the University of Dunaújváros is traditionally related to materials engineering and mechanical engineering. Its laboratories and other engineering facilities were created in accordance with that. In the last few decades an engineering culture was based and developed at the university (with a nuclear safety culture included), which is supported by the lecturer-researcher staff. The relative closeness of the university and the blocks to be bulit is favourable to keep in touch and to perform the necessary tasks. The university has got a traditionally good work cooperation with the MVM Paks Nucler Power Plant Ltd (Paks I.), which will be characterising better and better its work cooperation with Paks II. Nuclear Power Plant Ltd, as well.
Concerning the safety of the nuclear power plant the structural integrity of the technological systems of the nuclear power plant has got the utmost importance, which should be provided properly starting from the production of the equipments to be installed to the construction of the facilities and to putting it into operation, but during the complete time priod of its operation, too. The most important tool for it is the testing of the structural materials of the specific equipments, the continuous study, the inspection of their characteristics, their condition and their performance limits. The necessary, high number of testings will be performed by the companies participating in the construction. To solve the tasks that require higher knowledge beyond the routine professional skills the nuclear power plant will ask for the expertise of the Competence Center. During the construction of the new blocks in Paks welding will have a very significant role, through the work of the qualified and certified welders, by the use of approved welding technologies. To these work tasks will contribute the welding center of the university, where the necessary infrastructure and engineering knowledge is available. The educational portfolio of the Center includes courses being essential to the construction, such as the Updated Non-destructive Testing Methods, Corrosion-resistant Steels, the Non-destructive Testing of Welded Joints, Welder and Technologist, Nuclear-Power Plant Specific Technical and Organisation Knowledge.
The qualified experts of the Center can play a significant role in the specific materials engineering tasks of the blocks. At the end of 2018 the Paks II Competence Center of the University of Dunaújváros was inaugurated, and a Strategic Cooperation Frame Agreement was signed by János Süli, a minister without portfolio being responsible for the planning and construction of the two new blocks of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, István Lenkei , the CEO of the Paks II. Nuclear Power Plant Ltd., Dr. István András, rector and Ádám Sándor Kiss, chancellor.
