Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant halted over low Danube levels

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary was shut down due to low water levels in the Danube

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant had to be shut down due to record-low water levels in the Danube, whose water is used to cool the reactors. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Mádor warned of the threat of an energy crisis—the Paks plant generates nearly half of the country’s electricity.

In light of this, the European Commission will hold an emergency meeting of the Electricity Coordination Group.

“Although the operator has contingency measures in place, an event of this kind could further complicate the energy balance in the region,” said European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen. “The Commission is ready to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Electricity Coordination Group at any time.”

This is the first complete shutdown of the plant since it began operations 42 years ago.

“Starting Monday at the latest, 2,000 megawatts of Hungarian generation capacity will be lost, while demand from households and the public sector continues to rise due to the heat,” Euronews quotes Péter Mádjár as saying.

Reducing Electricity Consumption

The government has called on citizens and businesses to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The prime minister explained that the cabinet has developed a plan to impose rotational consumption restrictions on industrial facilities. In addition, power generation at the country’s other power plants will be increased.

András Perger, an expert at the Hungarian NGO Energiaklub, called the situation a serious test for Hungary’s power supply system. Part of Hungary’s demand can be met through imports from neighboring countries, but capacity in the region is also limited.

For example, in Romania, the shutdown of a single reactor causes fewer problems, since nuclear power accounts for a smaller share of the country’s energy mix.

TheChallenge of ClimateChange

“Despite the tense situation in Hungary, I do not expect it to lead to serious problems throughout the region,” added András Perger.

Friends of the Earth Hungary, a Hungarian environmental NGO, believes that the events surrounding the Paks Nuclear Power Plant are not an isolated incident but a challenge in terms of adapting to climate change.

“Hungary needs to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy system that relies less on infrastructure vulnerable to climate risks and more on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources,” according to a statement by the organization’s executive president, Akos Eger.

According to Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, Brussels is closely monitoring the power supply situation in both Hungary and Romania, but there are currently no grounds for immediate concern regarding energy security.