Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant is set to resume electricity generation after rising Danube water levels allowed for turbine restarts. The plant had been shut down for the first time in 44 years due to critically low water levels caused by a severe drought.
The Paks plant's shutdown threatened Hungary's electricity supply during a heatwave, highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructure to climate change and the interconnectedness of regional energy grids.
Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, is expected to resume electricity generation as early as Monday evening, according to Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The plant had been shut down for the first time in 44 years due to critically low water levels in the Danube River, a consequence of recent heatwaves and drought.
Water levels on the Danube began to rise at the end of last week following rainfall in the Austrian catchment areas. Magyar stated on Monday that the river's water level was 19 centimeters above the low point recorded a week prior, and the reconnection process for a Paks turbine has commenced. The No. 3 turbine of the second unit is anticipated to generate power from Monday evening.
Despite the positive news regarding water levels, Hungary has reiterated its call for voluntary reductions in electricity consumption due to the ongoing heatwave gripping Europe. Meanwhile, Romania, which also relies on nuclear power from a plant on the Danube at Cernavoda, undertook an operation last week to blast a rock formation and sink barges filled with rocks. This measure successfully deviated the Danube's flow to secure adequate water for cooling its nuclear reactors. The operation was successful, leading to increased water levels this week and ensuring the plant's second reactor can operate for at least nine more days.