Hungary PM flags 'critical' days ahead with looming nuclear shutdown

Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, is shutting down due to record-low Danube river levels, forcing the country to rely on alternative energy sources amid a looming heatwave.

Hungary faces a critical five days, Prime Minister Peter ‌Magyar said on Sunday, as the drying out of the Danube forces the country's sole nuclear power plant to shut for the first time in over four decades, with a new heatwave looming.

Large parts of Europe have been hit by prolonged heat and drought, lowering river levels and raising concerns ‌about water supplies, river transport and power generation. As of 1837 GMT, Hungary's 2-gigawatt Paks power plant, which generates about half of the country's ‌electricity, was running at just over 10% of its capacity after the Danube, whose waters it uses as a coolant, fell to a record low.

The water authority was projecting that the level of the river, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, would drop further in the coming days. PLANT COULD REMAIN IDLE FOR WEEKS

"We are facing the ⁠most critical ​five days ahead," Magyar said in ⁠a Facebook video. "Tomorrow, the Paks power plant will not be generating, while the hottest, 40-degree (Celsius, 104 degrees Fahrenheit) days are ahead. "The power grid, our public services and ourselves will ⁠all come under enormous strain," said Magyar, who has warned that Paks, which runs four Russian-built reactors, could remain idle for weeks.

In a later video, he said the ​decision on when to shut down would be "made by the plant's management observing a strict security protocol". He said voluntary cuts in power ⁠usage by households and more than 300 companies, made after a government appeal, had reduced demand by 400 MW, easing some pressure on the grid.

"For the time being there ⁠is ​no need for mandatory restrictions in power consumption for companies," Magyar said, adding however that the government could bring in curbs as soon as Monday if necessary. Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany said the list of companies curbing power demand included Hungarian energy group MOL , South Korean battery maker ⁠Samsung SDI, German carmaker Volkswagen's premium Audi brand and Japanese car parts supplier Denso.

Falls in water levels have also disrupted shipping and tourism in Hungary ⁠and triggered water-use restrictions in more than ⁠100 cities and villages, including on the outskirts of Budapest, according to government records. The crisis could cost Hungary 100 billion to 200 billion forints ($315 million to $630 million) due to the surging price of imported electricity, Mark ‌Radnai, vice chairman ‌of Magyar's Tisza party, said on Facebook. ($1 = 316.3700 forints)