Hungary's government is undertaking interventions on the Danube River to counteract record low water levels and prevent its sole nuclear power plant, Paks, from shutting down. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Wednesday that authorities would begin constructing a bed sill on Thursday, a structure designed to slow the river's current and raise upstream water levels.
Persistent drought and extreme heat waves have significantly depleted the Danube, one of Europe’s largest rivers, threatening the operation of the 44-year-old Paks plant. The plant, which supplies about a third of Hungary's electricity, currently operates at just over 10% of its 2,000-megawatt capacity due to insufficient water for cooling its four reactors.
The bed sill construction involves approximately 145,000 cubic meters of rocks, with delivery beginning Wednesday evening. This intervention is expected to raise the Danube's level by up to one meter (3 feet). Additionally, two 80-meter barges are being transported to the Paks site. A decision on whether to sink these barges to increase water depth by an additional 20 centimeters (8 inches) at the plant's cooling pumps is expected Friday.
Magyar described the bed sill as a “long-term” solution intended to ensure water levels remain above the threshold requiring reactor shutdown. He emphasized the urgency, noting that recent temporary increases in water levels were expected to recede, potentially leading to a complete shutdown without intervention. "The Danube has given us days, not months," he stated.
Similar measures were recently employed in Romania, where authorities sank four barges filled with rocks into the Danube to redirect water towards the Cernavoda nuclear plant. One of Cernavoda's two reactors had already been shut down due to low water.
The economic impact of Paks operating at its current reduced output is estimated at up to 50 billion forints ($158 million) per month. In contrast, the planned Danube interventions are projected to cost around 6 billion forints ($19 million).