Hungary electricity consumption rises 8% amid August heatwave

Hungary experienced a significant surge in electricity consumption during August due to an extreme heatwave. According to data from Mavir, gross electricity usage reached 4,071.6 GWh, an 8 percent increase compared to August of the previous year.

The heatwave, which saw temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in several locations, also led to a 14.5 percent increase in the share of imported electricity. Low water levels in the Danube River, caused by a lack of precipitation, threatened the operations of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, forcing its capacity to be reduced from 2,000 megawatts to below 200 megawatts.

Mavir declared a crisis situation involving significant disturbances to the electricity system, triggering emergency protocols. To maintain stability, the country relied on increased production from traditional fuel-based power plants and higher electricity imports. Normal supply operations were restored by the final week of August.