Hungary to switch off Paks nuclear plant for first time in 44 years as Danube shrinks
Hungary will take its only nuclear power station, Paks, fully offline on Sunday for the first time since it began operating, after the Danube dropped to record-low levels. Households are expected to be the last to face restrictions.
Hungary is preparing to take its sole nuclear power station, Paks, fully offline on Sunday for the first time in more than four decades, as an unusually dry and hot summer continues to deplete the Danube River.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced late Saturday on social media that a further fall in the river's water level had forced the decision. The plant, situated roughly 120 kilometers south of Budapest, relies on Danube water to cool its reactors and normally supplies more than 40 percent of Hungary's electricity.
Months of below-average rainfall and repeated heat waves since May have driven the Danube to record lows in parts of its course. Hungary's water authority said the river, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, was expected to keep falling. In Budapest, the water level was measured at 23 centimeters on Wednesday morning — 10 centimeters below the previous record low set in 2018.
Earlier in the week, output at Paks had already been reduced and some units were shut down. Magyar said the second-to-last generating unit would be switched off at 1:30 a.m. local time, leaving the plant with just 240 megawatts of output. By Sunday, the entire facility would be closed — a first in its 44-year history.
The shutdown is likely to push up electricity imports. Mark Radnai, vice chairman of the Tisza Party, wrote on Facebook that extra import costs could reach 120 billion to 240 billion forints (about $315 million to $630 million).
Magyar warned that Paks could remain offline for weeks. He said the government would ask large electricity users to voluntarily cut consumption, in addition to the 240 megawatts already pledged, and would impose penalties on those that do not comply. A forthcoming decree would also allow grid operator MAVIR to order mandatory consumption cuts or temporarily disconnect big customers if needed.
"Households will be the last to face restrictions," the prime minister said. Forecasts show no significant rain in the coming days, with temperatures across the region expected to rise above 38 degrees Celsius.
