A river’s record low exposed the vulnerability of Hungary’s main power source, forcing emergency engineering measures before one reactor can return.
Hungary is preparing to restart the third unit of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday evening. It was shut down amid a record drop in the water level of the Danube, which is used to cool the plant.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on social media that restarting the unit had become possible thanks to rising river levels and emergency measures. One of these measures was the installation of an underwater barrier on the Danube.
How the Danube’s low water level affected the Paks Nuclear Power Plant
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant provides about 40% of Hungary’s total electricity generation. During the water shortage, the nuclear plant could operate only one of its four units.
During this period, the plant’s output fell to approximately one-tenth of its nominal capacity of 2,000 megawatts. It is currently generating 481 megawatts of electricity.
On August 2, Hungary was forced to shut down its only nuclear power plant for the first time in more than 40 years due to critically low water levels in the Danube. Restarting the third unit is expected to partially boost electricity generation in the country.