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Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant Faces Full Shutdown Due to Record Low Danube Water Level

Affected by persistent drought and high temperatures, the water level of the Danube River at the Budapest section dropped to 23 cm (fixed datum reading, a record low), restricting cooling water intake at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Starting Wednesday, July 29, Unit 3 was the first to be shut down; the operator, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd, subsequently stated on its official website that all four units would inevitably be disconnected within the next 24 to 72 hours, with power generation coming to a complete halt. MVM explained that the existing water volume of the Danube is still sufficient to cool the reactors, but the intake pumps can no longer draw water because the riverbed is exposed and the pump inlets are too far from the water surface—an equipment failure rather than an absolute shortfall in cooling water volume. To this end, the Hungarian side deployed 4 pumping barges and 2 floating cranes near the plant as an emergency measure, but with water levels expected to continue falling, a preventive full shutdown remains unavoidable.

2026-07-31

France's Golfech nuclear power plant shut down for third time this summer due to high temperatures

France's Golfech nuclear power plant has been shut down three times this summer. Located approximately 100 kilometers northwest of Toulouse, the plant is operated by Électricité de France (EDF). On the evening of July 29, one of its reactors was shut down again due to extreme heat. EDF had previously shut down the reactor twice, from June 23 to July 3 and from July 9 to 27, to prevent cooling water discharged into the Garonne River from exceeding the 28-degree Celsius limit set by a 2006 decree. The Golfech nuclear power plant is located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, and its cooling water is discharged into the Garonne River. Currently, another reactor at the plant is also shut down for maintenance and refueling. France has experienced its fourth heatwave since the start of summer...

2026-07-31

Shidaowan Nuclear Power Company Successfully Completes Member Support Activity for Predictive Maintenance and Equipment Condition Monitoring

On July 24, Shidaowan Nuclear Power Company successfully completed the member support activity for predictive maintenance and equipment condition monitoring, laying the foundation for further optimizing the predictive maintenance and equipment condition monitoring management and technical systems of the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Demonstration Project, and promoting the transformation and upgrading of the equipment management model. The member support activity, lasting five days, was organized by the Nuclear Power Branch of the China Nuclear Energy Association, aiming to leverage the expertise of industry experts to drive the transformation of the equipment management model of the HTGR Demonstration Project from breakdown maintenance and periodic maintenance to data-driven predictive management, thereby strengthening the foundation of nuclear safety and operational economy. The expert team for this activity was led by Chen Lunshou, former Deputy Chief Engineer of Sanmen Nuclear Power Co., Ltd...

2026-07-30