Danube's Record Lows Halt Hungary's Paks Nuclear Reactor

Hungary's Paks nuclear plant will shut down one reactor due to low Danube water levels. This impacts cooling water supply, forcing output reduction after earlier contingency measures. Environment Minister Laszlo Gajdos said authorities are ready to deploy equipment to manage further water level drops.

Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant is set to shut down one of its four reactors starting Wednesday due to record-low water levels in the Danube River, vital for cooling the facility. Operator MVM announced the need for this move to ensure safe operations.

The Paks plant, housing four Russian reactors that deliver 2 gigawatts and account for nearly half of Hungary’s electricity, had already cut output by 254 megawatts at another unit earlier this week. The upcoming shutdown will slash the plant's output to around 60% capacity, following measures taken during a previous heatwave when the facility was temporarily exempted from discharge limits on cooling water temperature.

Water levels on the Danube have plummeted to unprecedented lows, disrupting navigation for cargo and river cruises. Environment Minister Laszlo Gajdos revealed that Hungarian water authorities are poised with equipment such as four pumping pontoons and two floating cranes near Paks to potentially maintain cooling water supplies as forecasts predict further decreases in water levels.