The country’s authorities are taking extraordinary measures to maintain the necessary water level for cooling the reactors.
Low water levels in the Danube / © Associated Press
Abnormal heat and drought have led to a drop in the water level of the Danube, which has created problems for the operation of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, Paks.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
The Danube level near the Paks NPP began to rise after the Hungarian authorities decided to flood two barges. This is intended to support the operation of the nuclear power plant and prevent costly complete shutdown.
As noted by Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the water level near the NPP’s pumping station has already risen by one centimeter.
In parallel, workers are constructing an underwater barrier to slow down the Danube’s current and increase the water level available for reactor cooling. Approximately 5,000 metric tons of stone are expected to be delivered to the work site within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, prolonged heat is causing waterways across Europe to dry up and is placing additional strain on power grids. The prolonged drought has also significantly affected the Danube’s flow, leading to reactor cooling issues.
The Paks NPP generates about 40% of Hungary’s electricity. Currently, the plant is generating 485 megawatts, which is approximately a quarter of its total capacity of around 2,000 megawatts.
According to forecasts, by the beginning of next week, the Danube’s water level could drop to such an extent that it will be necessary to shut down one of the two turbines currently in operation.
If the water level continues to fall, it could potentially lead to a complete shutdown of the NPP.
A complete cessation of the plant’s operation would force Hungary to increase electricity imports during evening hours. Additionally, the country would incur extra costs before the reactors could resume operation.
According to Prime Minister Magyar’s assessment, the monthly cost of maintaining the NPP in autonomous mode would be at least 50 billion forints, or about $159 million. This amount does not include potential losses for companies due to energy supply restrictions.
Earlier, it was reported that the record low water level in the Danube created new problems for the export of Ukrainian grain.
We previously informed that Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar questioned the agreement concluded by his predecessor Viktor Orbán on expanding the capacities between Hungary and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom in the field of nuclear energy.
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