Hungary to Shut Paks Nuclear Plant as Danube Levels Hit Record Lows
BUDAPEST-Hungary will shut down its only nuclear power plant after record-low water levels in the Danube River disrupted cooling operations, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Sunday, marking the facility’s first complete shutdown in 44 years.
The closure comes amid an energy challenge driven by prolonged drought and extreme heat across Europe, with persistently low river levels affecting the operation of critical infrastructure.
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant, located south of Budapest, normally generates about one-third of Hungary’s electricity. The facility relies on water drawn from the Danube River for cooling, but water levels have fallen to historic lows following months of limited rainfall and successive heatwaves since May.
In a post on X, Magyar said one of the plant’s remaining two generating units would be shut down at 1:30 a.m. because of the continued decline in the river’s water level.
He said the plant’s output would fall to 240 megawatts before the facility is completely taken offline, the first full shutdown since it began operating 44 years ago.
The announcement follows a warning issued on Friday by the plant’s operator, which said deteriorating conditions could force the Paks facility to cease operations entirely by the middle of the coming week.
Hungary’s national weather service, HungaroMet, has forecast temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days. A high of 42 degrees Celsius expected on Thursday would equal the country’s all-time temperature record set earlier this summer.
The shutdown underscores the growing impact of prolonged drought and extreme heat on Europe’s energy infrastructure as countries contend with increasingly severe weather conditions.
