Hungary sinks barges in Danube to keep its only nuclear power plant running

According to Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the water level near the nuclear power plant’s pumping station has already risen by about 1 centimeter since the operation began.

In addition to sinking barges, workers are building an underwater barrier designed to slow the flow of the Danube and increase water reserves for the plant’s cooling systems. About 5,000 metric tons of stone are expected to be delivered during the day for the project.

The emergency was caused by a prolonged drought that pushed the Danube to record-low levels. The Paks nuclear power plant uses water from the river to cool its reactors.

The plant has a capacity of about 2 gigawatts but is currently generating only about 485 megawatts of electricity, roughly a quarter of its maximum capacity.

Forecasts indicate that the Danube could fall so low by early next week that one of the two remaining operating turbines would have to be shut down. A further decline in the water level could force the entire nuclear power plant to halt operations.

Magyar said a shutdown of Paks could cost Hungary at least $159 million a month, excluding potential losses to businesses caused by electricity restrictions.

On Aug. 5, Romania sank four barges in the Danube to increase the flow of water to the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. Two reactors at the plant, the country’s only nuclear power facility, have already been shut down because of low water levels. It remains unclear when they will resume operations.

On Aug. 1, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said the Hungarian capital was introducing measures to conserve electricity. The city planned to slow metro and tram services and switch off some decorative lighting on public buildings.

On Aug. 7, The Guardian reported that several Central and Eastern European countries had recorded new temperature records amid an extreme heat wave. Slovakia recorded an all-time high of 42 C (107.6 F), while exceptionally high temperatures were also recorded in Austria and Hungary.