Paks Nuclear Power Plant faces critical water levels

Paks Nuclear Power Plant Danube water levels turbine maintenance river defense works water management

Emergency defense works are underway at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to maintain the operation of two turbines amid critically low water levels in the Danube. Péter Magyar reported that Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be critical days, as the river level could drop by an additional 14-15 centimeters.

Currently, the water level is only 9 centimeters above the threshold that would require the shutdown of the penultimate turbine. To mitigate this, authorities are implementing several measures, including the construction of a sediment threshold and the controlled sinking of two 80-meter barges. These barges are being secured to 8-meter deep piles using 500-meter-long steel cables.

Additionally, water management experts plan to open the Ráckevei-Soroksári Danube branch lock to increase the main river's flow by 20 cubic meters per second, which could raise the level at Paks by approximately two centimeters. Forecasts suggest that precipitation arriving in Austrian catchment areas by Thursday may help stabilize or raise the water levels.