Danube at Record Low, Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant Faces First Full Shutdown in 44 Years
On August 2, Hungarian authorities stated that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant may halt electricity generation due to the Danube River dropping to a historic low. This is the country's only nuclear power plant, with an installed capacity of approximately 2 gigawatts, generating nearly half of Hungary's total electricity output. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant draws water from the Danube for cooling. Due to persistent high temperatures and insufficient rainfall, the Danube's water level has been continuously declining recently. Hungarian water authorities predict that the river, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, will see further drops in water levels in the coming days. As of 18:37 GMT on August 2, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant's output was only slightly above 10% of its installed capacity. Péter M...
2026-08-03
