Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant

What the report says

BBC World News reported that Hungary’s only nuclear power station, the Soviet-era Paks plant, is set to shut down completely for the first time because record-low Danube levels have left its cooling-water intake nozzles unable to reach the river. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the country’s energy supply could become “critical” from Monday as a week of temperatures around 37C adds pressure to the grid.

According to the BBC, Magyar urged households and businesses to cut high-consumption activities during the 17:00 to 22:00 peak period, including electric-vehicle charging and air conditioning use. He said Hungary could move to rotational power cuts if demand cannot be balanced, and that authorities would identify electricity and water users whose consumption might be restricted.

The disruption is part of a wider Danube crisis after prolonged heat and low rainfall across the region. Romania has already shut one of two 706-megawatt reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear plant, which normally supplies about a fifth of the country’s electricity, and officials were trying to avoid closing the second. Romania’s hydrology institute said Danube flow entering the country had fallen far below the July average and was expected to decline further.

The BBC also reported severe effects in Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia, including halted shipping in Bulgaria, a grounded river cruise near Vidin and exposed wrecks and other remains along the riverbed. The Danube runs through or along 19 countries, so sustained low water levels can affect power generation, transport, water use and regional trade. The report linked the conditions to Europe’s broader pattern of hotter summers, drought stress and wildfire risk.