Hungary Will Shut Down Its Only Nuclear Power Plant: What Are the Reasons?
3 August 02:14
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that operations at the country’s only nuclear power plant, Paks, will be suspended due to a record drop in the Danube’s water level—the first such drop in 44 years. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Reuters.
According to the agency, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant accounts for nearly half of Hungary’s electricity generation and uses water from the Danube to cool the plant’s reactors. Against the backdrop of a potential energy crisis, the country’s authorities have called on residents and businesses to reduce their electricity consumption.
Earlier, Péter Magyar reported that the government had developed an emergency plan that calls for rotating consumption restrictions at the country’s industrial enterprises. He also promised that Hungary’s other power plants would temporarily increase electricity production.
The low water levels in the Danube have also affected Romania and Serbia
In 2026, due to abnormal heat and drought in Central Europe, the Danube reached critically low water levels. In some regions, water levels broke historical lows, leading to the suspension of navigation and problems in the energy sector.
In particular, at the end of July, Romania shut down the first unit of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant and disconnected it from the national power grid. Serbian hydrometeorologists are also warning that water levels in the Danube could hit a record low not seen in a century. The country’s authorities have already shut down a pumping station that supplies water to the northern part of the autonomous province of Vojvodina.
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