Hungary's Paks nuclear plant faces shutdown as Danube water levels hit record low

Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, has been completely shut down for the first time in its 42-year history due to record-low water levels in the Danube River, which is essential for cooling the reactors. Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that this situation could lead to an energy crisis as early as the following week, with the loss of 2,000 megawatts of power generation capacity coinciding with rising demand due to a heatwave.

The European Commission stated it is prepared to convene an emergency meeting of its Electricity Coordination Group to address the situation. Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen noted that while the operator has emergency measures for nuclear safety, the shutdown could strain the regional electricity balance.

Magyar urged the public and businesses to reduce energy consumption, particularly avoiding air conditioning and washing machines during peak hours of 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. An emergency plan is also in place to limit consumption at industrial facilities rotationally. The government aims to increase output from other Hungarian power plants and stressed the importance of avoiding an unexpected system collapse.

András Perger, an expert at the Hungarian NGO Energiaklub, indicated that Hungary could lose 25–30 percent of its energy output from Monday, describing it as a serious test for Hungarian and regional supply. While imports from neighboring countries could partially meet demand, hydroelectric power availability is also limited in the region. Friends of the Earth Hungary characterized the event as a climate adaptation challenge, advocating for a more resilient, decentralized energy system less reliant on climate-vulnerable infrastructure and more focused on energy savings and renewables.