Hungary’s sole nuclear power facility, the Paks plant, is slated for a full shutdown as the Danube River reaches record-breaking low water levels. Prime Minister Péter Magyar confirmed that because the facility relies on river water for cooling, the current depths are insufficient for the plant’s suction nozzles to operate effectively. This marks the first time such an intervention has been necessary.
With a severe heatwave sustaining temperatures near 37C, Magyar warned that national energy availability will reach a critical point beginning Monday. Citizens have been urged to minimize heavy power usage, such as air conditioning and electric vehicle charging, during the evening hours of 17:00 to 22:00. The government is also preparing for a potential rotational power cut strategy to preserve grid stability.
The water crisis is affecting the entire region. In Romania, the Cernavoda nuclear plant has already decommissioned one of its two reactors, threatening the country’s energy production. Meanwhile, the receding river has exposed historic shipwrecks and long-submerged artifacts across Serbia, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Experts attribute this drastic decline to a combination of prolonged drought and climate change, which has caused Europe to warm at twice the global rate. With no immediate relief forecast until September, authorities across the continent remain on high alert.