Low Danube Water Forces Shutdown of Hungary’s Paks Plant FAST-MOVING

Paks nuclear plant Danube low water Hungary Romania Cernavodă barge traffic halt

Record‑low water levels in the Danube have reached historic lows, with flow measured at about 1,600 m³/s – less than half the normal summer rate. The shortage of cooling water forced Hungary’s 2‑GW Paks Nuclear Power Plant to consider a full shutdown, the first in its 44‑year history, cutting output from around 2,000 MW to about 960 MW and threatening a total loss of power if the river level falls further.

Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear plant was also hit: one reactor has already been taken offline and the second remains connected only after a safety review, but could be shut if conditions worsen. The low water has halted barge traffic on the Danube, disrupting fuel and cargo shipments and prompting Mol’s CEO to ask the government for assistance.

The extreme river drawdown has exposed archaeological sites, including a sunken WWII warship in Serbia and mammoth remains in Bulgaria. Governments in Hungary and Romania have called for voluntary electricity savings, emergency electricity imports and have begun emergency water‑use restrictions. Satellite imagery confirms the Danube’s historic low across downstream countries.

Entities: Cernavodă Nuclear Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Danube River · Government of Hungary · Hungarian Ministry of Energy · Hungarian government · Hungary · Ilie Bolojan · László Gajdos · MVM

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 9 SOURCES] Both Cernavodă and Paks nuclear plants use Danube water for cooling, and low flow threatens nuclear safety. (All articles referencing low Danube water affecting both plants)
[● 18 SOURCES] The Danube water flow was measured at 1,750 cubic metres per second on July 16, the lowest in three decades. (article)
[● 17 SOURCES] Hungary reduced output of Block 1 at Paks by 254 MW on July 27 because of the low Danube water level. (existing)
[● 14 SOURCES] Cernavodă Unit 1 was shut down on July 28 because of low Danube water flow. (existing)
[● 16 SOURCES] Hungary reduced output of Block 3 at Paks by 237 MW on July 28 because of low Danube water flow. (article)
[● 17 SOURCES] Danube water level at Paks was measured at –106 cm on July 27, a record low. (existing)
[● 7 SOURCES] Cernavodă nuclear plant supplies about 20 % of Romania’s electricity. (existing)
[● 4 SOURCES] The shutdown of unit 1 is expected to last until at least August 4. (source)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Danube water flow measured 1,750 cubic metres per second on 16 July, the lowest in 30 years. (Nuclearelectrica / Romanian water authorities)
[● 3 SOURCES] A second reactor at Cernavodă could be shut down if Danube water levels continue to fall. (existing)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Cernavodă reactor is expected to restart no earlier than 4 August. (Nuclearelectrica)
[● 2 SOURCES] Cernavodă Unit 1 reactor was shut down on Tuesday due to low Danube water flow. (Romanian nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica)