In Dömös, Hungary, water surged into the Danube. On Monday, the floodgates were opened on the Ratkeve–Shoroksár section (50 km from Budapest). This decision allowed an additional 20 cubic meters of water per second to be released into the main channel, raising the water level by two centimeters.
A few days ago, two barges arrived in the city of Paks via the Danube. Starting Monday, water began to be pumped into the barges’ hulls so that, once they were flooded, they would raise the water level in the shallow river, according to Euronews.
Avoiding another shutdown of the penultimate turbine at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant will only be possible if flooding the barges results in the expected rise in water level. Work is also proceeding at an accelerated pace on the construction of an underwater barrier designed to slow the flow of the Danube and increase water reserves for the nuclear power plant’s cooling systems.
Last week, the government decided to build this barrier between the two banks of the Danube in the section between the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and the town of Dunaszentbenedek. First, 35,000 cubic meters of stone will be laid, followed by 110,000 cubic meters.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be critical, as the water level in the Danube is expected to drop further by 14–15 cm by then. Starting Thursday, the water level may rise again due to rainfall in the catchment basins in Austria.
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