Low Danube water levels force Serbia, Hungary and Romania to cut power generation
Prolonged drought and heatwaves have lowered the Danube to record levels, prompting Serbia to reduce hydropower output, Hungary to prepare shutting its Paks nuclear plant, and Romania to idle its Cernavodă reactors.
Low Danube levels hit power output in three countries
Due to prolonged drought and heatwaves, the Danube's water level has fallen to record lows in places. Serbia, Hungary and Romania have all announced measures to curb electricity generation or shut down nuclear reactors.
Serbia cuts hydropower capacity
Serbia's mining and energy minister Dubravka Djedović Handanović told RTS that because of the low Danube level, the Djerdap I and Djerdap II hydropower plants are operating at only 20% and 30% of capacity respectively. These plants account for about 18% of the country's electricity output. Hydropower makes up nearly a third of Serbia's energy mix, with the rest mostly coming from thermal plants. Meteorologists estimate that there has been no significant rainfall in the past five to six weeks.
Hungary to halt Paks nuclear plant
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said at a press conference near the Paks nuclear power station that the plant could be shut down on Tuesday or Wednesday. Located south of Budapest, Paks provides about 40% of Hungary's annual electricity. Its four Soviet-era reactors use Danube water for cooling, and the operator had earlier warned that closure was inevitable. The plant has already reduced output in recent days.
To save energy, the Hungarian government has urged businesses to consume less, banned open-air fires, and ordered decorative lighting on state buildings to be switched off.
Romania idles Cernavodă reactors
Romania's Energy Ministry said the second reactor at the Cernavodă nuclear plant would be shut down in a controlled manner at 10:00 on July 30 due to unfavourable hydrological conditions on the Danube. The first reactor had been stopped a few days earlier for the same reason. The plant's operator, Nuclearelectrica, said the shutdowns follow procedures for severe drought. Local media reported that this is the first time both reactors have been halted simultaneously because of low Danube water levels.
Romania's acting prime minister, Ilie Bolojan, called on citizens and large consumers to be careful with power use in the evening, when shortages are most acute. He added that the shortfall would have to be compensated by gas-fired generation or electricity imports.
The Danube flows from Germany's Black Forest through ten countries to the Black Sea. Since May, a series of heatwaves and a lack of rain have pushed water levels to historic lows in several sections.
