Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant, which generates nearly half of the country's electricity, could be forced to suspend operations as the Danube River falls to record low levels, raising concerns about the country's energy security amid an ongoing heatwave.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar sought to reassure the public that electricity supplies remain secure, as Euronews reported, but acknowledged that the situation at the country's largest power station has become increasingly serious.
"It seems, at this point, that the complete shutdown of the Paks power plant could take place today, or perhaps tomorrow," Magyar said during a press conference on July 30.
Paks relies on water from the Danube to cool its reactors. In recent summers, the facility has repeatedly reduced output because of unusually high river temperatures and low water levels, but it has never before been forced to shut down completely.
The prime minister also revealed that the Dunamenti Power Plant had temporarily gone offline following a malfunction, removing an additional 400 megawatts of generating capacity from the national grid. He said repair work was underway and that the plant was expected to resume operations later the same day.
Paks operates Russian-designed reactors, and the previous government led by Viktor Orbán reached an agreement with Moscow to expand the facility in an effort to strengthen Hungary's long-term energy security.
Construction on the expansion project began in 2026, although the new government has not provided an update on its progress since taking office in April.
In response to the worsening drought, the Hungarian government has begun preparing contingency measures to safeguard electricity supplies should conditions deteriorate further.
Officials are drafting an emergency plan that would identify major public-sector and industrial consumers required to temporarily reduce electricity consumption if necessary.
Magyar stressed that any restrictions would not affect essential public services, hospitals or social care institutions, but would instead focus on large energy-intensive industrial facilities.
The Danube reached a record low level earlier this week as prolonged heat and dry weather reduced water flows across Central Europe. River gauges measured the water level at just 23 centimetres, underscoring the severity of the drought.
The low water levels have affected energy production elsewhere along the river as well. Romania announced on July 29 that both of its nuclear reactors had been shut down because of insufficient water levels in the Danube needed for cooling operations.
By Nazrin Sadigova
