Paks nuclear plant at risk of weekend shutdown as Danube falls to record lows
Paks — which supplies about half of Hungary’s electricity — may be taken offline because the Danube has dropped to record lows, officials warn.
Hungary's only nuclear plant, the Paks nuclear power plant, faces a possible full shutdown this weekend as the Danube falls to record low levels, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said, warning of an imminent energy squeeze.
Output cuts, cooling limits and wider disruption
The site’s four Russian-built reactors — together rated at about 2 gigawatts of capacity — are currently running at roughly one-quarter of their total output, and engineers had reduced generation again overnight as river levels dropped further. Officials say the plant uses Danube water for cooling; continued falls could force a complete halt in electricity production for the first time in 44 years.
Beyond the plant itself, the drought has already interfered with river transport and tourism along the Danube, and authorities are monitoring secondary impacts on industry that depend on steady river flows.
Economic fallout could be substantial. Mark Radnai, vice‑president of the Tisza Party, posted on Facebook that the anticipated energy shortage may cost Hungary between 100 and 200 billion forint (270 to 550 million euros) because of higher imported power prices.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar said engineers had taken additional steps after assessing the river: "The water level of the Danube has fallen further." He added that production cuts continued and warned that "a full shutdown could happen earlier, this weekend."
Analysts and officials say the timing and duration of any outage will determine how deep the disruption becomes; Hungary’s economy, which grew less than expected in the second quarter, could face higher energy bills and temporary industrial slowdowns if the plant remains offline for weeks.
Photo: Stadt Wien / Feuerwehr
