Nuclear reactors stopped in Hungary and Romania due to heat and Danube's shallowing
For the first time in the history of Hungary and Romania, nuclear power units had to be shut down due to abnormally low water levels in the Danube.
NPP in Romania. Photo: Andreea Alexandru / AP
Hungary's only nuclear power plant in Paks temporarily ceased electricity production, resulting in the country losing about 2000 megawatts of capacity. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that an energy crisis could arise in the coming days, writes Bild.
The shutdown is particularly sensitive for Hungary, where about half of all electricity is generated by nuclear power plants. Amidst severe heat, electricity consumption is rising due to the active use of air conditioners, and authorities have urged residents to save electricity during peak hours. The cause of the problem is the Danube's water level: due to a lack of rainfall and several heatwaves, the river's water has dropped to record low values.
A similar situation occurred in Romania. There, due to deteriorating hydrological conditions, the second reactor of the Cernavodă NPP, the country's only nuclear power plant, was shut down. The first reactor was disconnected several days ago.
Nuclear power plants use water from rivers to cool equipment, so significant shallowing of the Danube forces them to reduce capacity or completely stop operations.