Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant Faces Imminent Shutdown Amid Record Drought and Heatwaves

The Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary faces a complete shutdown within days as severe drought and record-low Danube water levels threaten its crucial cooling systems.

Paks Nuclear Plant Faces Shutdown Threat

The Paks nuclear power plant accounts for nearly half of Hungary’s domestic electricity production and must be cooled using water from the Danube River to function. However, the river level is currently at a record low, standing at 28 centimeters below the previous record set in 2018.

Plant operator MVM Paksi Atomeromu Zrt. issued a statement on Thursday, July 30, announcing that a complete shutdown of the plant and a consequent suspension of electricity production will be inevitable within the next 24 to 72 hours. The company urged residents to use electricity responsibly and sparingly to help maintain energy supply security in Hungary.

Declining Danube Water Levels and Climate Impact

MVM indicated that the main causes of the falling water level are the deepening of the riverbed and the effects of global climate change. The company previously reported that the current summer has brought prolonged drought and heatwaves.

Extreme heat forces the human body to work intensively to maintain a proper core temperature, which can lead to weakness, fatigue, sluggishness, and concentration problems, writes Dr. Mariusz Hochuł, a cardiologist from American Heart of Poland, on Wyborcza.pl.

Future Modernization and Safe Shutdown Procedures

The power plant could operate even at lower Danube water levels, but this requires modernization work, which is currently underway. Technical work related to the deeper placement of suction pipes has begun, and in a few years, the nuclear plant will be able to continue production even at water levels lower than the current one, the operator wrote.

Currently, however, the only option is to shut it down, and the operator stated it is prepared to safely manage the plant during the shutdown. Even if the extremely low water level persists for many weeks, the blocks will remain in a safe state, and once the Danube level rises again, they will be restarted gradually in accordance with rigorous procedures taking anywhere from a few days depending on the water level, wrote MVM Paksi Atomeromu Zrt.