Danube Water Level Temporarily Recovers, Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant May Continue Reduced-Power Operation

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on August 7 that due to rainfall in Austria, the Danube water level is expected to temporarily recover in the near term, which will help improve cooling conditions at the nuclear power plant, but the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which supplies nearly half of Hungary's electricity, may still continue to operate at reduced power.

In a social media video, Magyar said the current situation at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant remains "very difficult." Affected by persistent high temperatures and historically low Danube water levels, the plant has been operating at approximately 10% output since last week.

At a subsequent press conference, he stated that Hungary must find a solution for the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, because "the Hungarian economy cannot function for months without the plant." Previously, the government had called on businesses and residents to reduce electricity consumption in the evening and dim the decorative lighting of historic buildings in Budapest to alleviate power supply pressure.

Magyar said that temperatures are expected to drop in the coming period, and Hungary's energy and water supply remain generally stable, so no additional electricity-saving measures are needed for now. However, he also noted that if low water levels become the norm, the government is studying response plans.

According to his introduction, the Danube water level is expected to rise by approximately 20 centimeters in the coming days, but since rainfall may subsequently cease, this rise is expected to be only a short-term phenomenon. He also stated that there is a "small probability" that another turbine at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant could restart next Monday, and if it resumes operation, the plant's output would double.

Magyar also mentioned that the necessity of reviewing the expansion plan for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is increasing. The project cost has now reached twice the originally estimated cost. In 2014, the government of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban directly awarded the Paks II nuclear project to Russia's Rosatom, and the project has been delayed multiple times since then.

Under the current plan, the Paks II project also intends to use the Danube for cooling. Magyar stated that from this perspective, the Paks II project also needs to be renegotiated, and mentioned that alternative solutions such as cooling towers could be studied.

He also stated that the government will assess what investments are needed to enhance the resilience of Hungary's energy and water supply systems. Magyar previously said that Hungary plans to develop 4 gigawatts of wind power capacity by 2030 to diversify energy sources; on August 7, he further stated that the government will launch a tender for 700 megawatts of wind power capacity before August 31.