Hungary’s government plans interventions on Danube River to keep nuclear plant running
Summary
Hungary’s government will build structures in the Danube River to raise water levels and keep its only nuclear power plant running. The Paks nuclear plant relies on the river water to cool its reactors but is now operating far below capacity due to very low river levels caused by drought and heat waves.Key Facts
- The Paks nuclear power plant supplies about one-third of Hungary’s electricity.
- Low water levels in the Danube River have forced the plant to reduce output to around 10% of its capacity (2,000 megawatts).
- Hungary plans to build a "bed sill," a low barrier in the riverbed, to slow water flow and increase upstream water levels by up to 1 meter (3 feet).
- Two barges may be sunk near the plant to raise water levels an additional 20 centimeters (8 inches).
- These interventions aim to prevent the plant from shutting down completely due to insufficient cooling water.
- The costs for the river work are estimated at 6 billion forints ($19 million), much less than the 50 billion forints ($158 million) monthly loss caused by reduced plant operation.
- Similar measures were recently taken in Romania to support their Cernavoda nuclear plant.
- Authorities describe the low water level problem as a long-term issue, not a one-time event.
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