Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, located in Paks, could shut down as early as this weekend, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Saturday. The shutdown, occurring earlier than anticipated, comes as a severe heatwave grips central Europe, with temperatures expected to soar above 40C. The plant, which usually meets about a third of Hungary's electricity needs, relies on water from the Danube River, which has reached record low levels due to lack of rain and successive heatwaves.
The Hungarian National Weather Service, HungaroMet, predicts temperatures peaking at 42C this Thursday, matching the national record set earlier in the summer. On Friday, the plant's operator warned that declining water levels could force the facility to go offline completely for the first time in its history around the middle of next week.
In a Facebook video, Magyar explained that engineers at the Paks power plant conducted another partial shutdown during the early hours of Saturday morning due to the further drop in the Danube's water level. Currently, the plant is operating at about a quarter of its normal capacity of 2,000 megawatts. Magyar emphasized that a complete shutdown could occur sooner than expected, potentially this weekend.
To mitigate the impact on Hungary's energy grid, Magyar announced several measures, including penalties for large industrial consumers that fail to reduce electricity use during peak evening hours. The government is also considering mandatory consumption cuts and temporary disconnections of specific large consumers if necessary. All available backup power plants have been placed on standby, and freight rail services will be suspended during peak hours starting Monday.
The potential shutdown of the Paks nuclear plant highlights the broader challenges faced by central European countries due to extreme weather conditions. For countries like Bangladesh, which also face frequent heatwaves and water shortages, this situation underscores the urgent need for robust energy infrastructure and climate resilience strategies.
