Paks Nuclear Power Plant: Hungary to build Danube sill to combat drought

Paks Nuclear Power Plant Danube River riverbed sill drought energy security

To prevent the shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant due to record-low Danube water levels, the Hungarian government has ordered the immediate construction of a riverbed sill between Paks and Dunaszentbenedek.

The project, estimated to cost six billion forints, will utilize approximately 150,000 cubic meters of stone to raise the river level by up to one meter. The intervention aims to ensure the water level at the plant's cooling channel does not drop below minus 90 cm, allowing the facility to operate at full capacity.

As a temporary measure, authorities are preparing to sink two 80-meter barges to raise the water level by an additional 20 cm. General Pál Kádár has been tasked with coordinating the defense and construction works, with one hundred soldiers assigned to support the site on a 24-hour schedule. The project is being treated as a high-priority emergency response to the ongoing drought.

Entities

András Murányi · Danube · Dunaszentbenedek · Fidesz · Hungary · János Bóka · Paks Nuclear Power Plant · Peter Magyar · Pál Kádár · Ákos Hadházy

Claims

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

[● 4 SOURCES] The riverbed sill construction project is expected to cost six billion forints. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.krone.at · www.blikk.hu
[○ 1 SOURCE] General Pál Kádár, head of the Defense Administration Office, has been tasked with coordinating the defense and construction works. szegeder.hu
[● 5 SOURCES] The intervention aims to ensure the water level at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant cooling channel does not drop below minus 90 cm. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.blikk.hu · szeged365.hu · index.hu
[● 2 SOURCES] Politician Ákos Hadházy criticized the use of a helicopter for the site visit, suggesting it was a costly propaganda move. 444.hu · 24.hu
[● 5 SOURCES] The project will initially use 35,000 cubic meters of stone, followed by an additional 110,000 cubic meters. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.blikk.hu · szeged365.hu · index.hu
[● 6 SOURCES] The government will immediately begin constructing a riverbed sill on the Danube between the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and Dunaszentbenedek. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.blikk.hu · szeged365.hu · index.hu · +1 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The completed sill could raise the Danube water level by up to one meter in the affected area. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.krone.at · index.hu · wtop.com
[● 5 SOURCES] As a temporary measure, two 80-meter barges will be prepared for controlled sinking to raise the water level by up to 20 cm. szegeder.hu · egriugyek.hu · www.blikk.hu · index.hu · wtop.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] One hundred soldiers have been assigned to support the construction site on a 24-hour work schedule. index.hu