Hungary began shutting down its only nuclear power plant on Sunday, marking the first full shutdown of the Paks facility in its 44 years of operation, as a severe drought reduced the Danube River to record-low levels and left reactors unable to draw sufficient cooling water.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar told reporters the country faces “a critical five days” as the drying Danube forces the phased shutdown of the plant, which supplies roughly half of Hungary’s total electricity output. The crisis has left Budapest scrambling for alternative power sources as temperatures are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius next week.
The Paks nuclear complex, located approximately 80 kilometres south of Budapest on the banks of the Danube, had already reduced capacity in late July as water levels began falling. But officials said Sunday that continued drought across central Europe left no option but a complete halt to operations, with reactor cores losing access to the river water needed to prevent overheating.
The shutdown extends a broader pattern across Europe, where heatwave conditions have disrupted nuclear power generation in multiple countries. Two reactors in Romania have already gone offline due to low Danube water levels, and several French nuclear plants have curtailed output as rivers across the continent run dry amid one of the hottest summers on record.
Hungary’s energy ministry said backup gas-fired generation and cross-border electricity imports would be activated to cover the shortfall, but analysts warned that the loss of Paks capacity at peak demand could strain the national grid. Magyar urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption during what he called an unprecedented energy emergency for the country.
The crisis underscores the vulnerability of Europe’s nuclear fleet to extreme weather, particularly plants that rely on river water for cooling rather than coastal or ocean access. Environmental groups said the shutdown highlights the urgent need for climate adaptation measures across the continent’s energy infrastructure.
The European Commission has been monitoring the situation across member states, with energy officials warning that the simultaneous loss of nuclear capacity in Hungary, Romania, and France could tighten electricity markets already under pressure from the Iran-related disruption to oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year.
Magyar said the government is in constant contact with grid operator MAVIR and European energy partners to ensure supply stability, but cautioned that the full shutdown could last until river levels recover sufficiently to resume cooling operations. Meteorologists forecast only limited relief from the drought in the coming days.
Reuters: Hungary PM flags critical days ahead with looming nuclear shutdown
Politico: Hungary faces energy crunch as drought shuts down Paks nuclear plant
NBC News: Hungary braces for full shutdown of nuclear plant as Danube hits record lows
Author: Europe Desk
discussion