Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant Shutdown Amid Record Low Danube Levels

Paks nuclear plant Danube low water energy crisis Hungary Slovakia assistance

Record‑low water levels in the Danube River forced the shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant, Hungary’s sole nuclear facility that supplies roughly half of the country’s electricity. The river level at the plant fell to about –134 cm, triggering the first full shutdown in the plant’s 44‑year history and reducing output from around 2 GW to about 240 MW (≈10 % of capacity). Prime Minister Peter Magyar warned that the next five days are “critical”, with heatwave temperatures expected to exceed 40 °C, and said the power grid and public services could face enormous strain.

The government introduced emergency measures: voluntary energy‑saving cuts by households and more than 300 large companies saved roughly 400 MW; large industrial consumers were asked to cut usage between 17:00‑22:00 and decorative lighting on public buildings was banned; freight‑train traffic was halted during peak hours, expected to save 70‑90 MWh per day; public‑sector staff were ordered to work remotely for the first three days of the week; and water‑use restrictions were imposed in over 100 towns and villages. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Slovakia is ready to supply electricity to help Hungary cope with the crisis. The combined actions aim to keep the remaining turbine operating while preventing a wider energy shortage.

Entities

Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Danube River · Dubravka Đedović Handanović · Hungarian government · Iași · Ilie Bolojan · MVM · MVM (Hungarian State Energy Company) · MVM (operator) · Mihai Chirica · Nuclearelectrica

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