Paks Nuclear Power Plant water supply secured via emergency riverbed construction

To ensure the continuous operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant during record low water levels on the Danube, the National Water Directorate (OVF) commissioned the construction of a riverbed threshold. The project, which cost over 6 billion HUF, was implemented through an emergency negotiated procedure without a public call for tenders.

A-Híd Zrt. was selected as the sole contractor for a specific portion of the work for approximately 2.05 billion HUF, a figure roughly 32.5 percent higher than the initial estimate of 1.55 billion HUF. The OVF justified the rapid, non-competitive process by citing extreme urgency due to hydrometeorological conditions that threatened the plant's water supply.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar has publicly acknowledged the importance of the project and thanked local residents for their patience during the construction. While the infrastructure successfully helped maintain reactor operations, some reports have raised questions regarding whether the construction proceeded without necessary environmental permits.