Full Breakdown
Danube Drought Forces Nuclear Plant Shutdowns in Hungary and Romania
7/31/2026, 7:59:24 AM
Core Event: Record-Low Danube Levels Compel Full Halt of Paks Plant and Partial Halt of Cernavoda Reactors
Hungary’s sole nuclear facility at Paks will cease operations entirely by next Monday because the Danube’s water level is too low for the cooling-system suction nozzles. The shutdown removes roughly 2,000 MWh, about 40 % of Hungary’s electricity supply. In Romania, Nuclearelectrica is shutting down the second of its two 706-MW reactors at Cernavoda on July 29, after the first reactor went offline earlier in the week, cutting about one-fifth of Romania’s nuclear output.
Background & Context
The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, runs 2,857 km through 19 countries. A summer heatwave with temperatures above 37 °C and scarce rainfall has driven river levels down. The Copernicus climate service notes Europe is warming roughly twice as fast as the global average, intensifying droughts and river-level declines. Low flow hampers the cooling water supply essential for the Soviet-era reactors at Paks and Cernavoda.
Data & Statistics
- Paks plant: four Russian-built reactors, combined capacity 2 GW; output cut by 50 % on reactor 2 on Thursday, with earlier reductions on reactors 1 and 3.
- Cernavoda plant: two 706-MW reactors, together supplying roughly 20 % of Romania’s electricity.
- Danube flow at Romanian entry: 1,650 m³/s on Tuesday, dropping to 1,600 m³/s on Wednesday, less than one-third of the July average of 4,700 m³/s.
- Forecast: water-management agency expects flow to fall to 1,500 m³/s on August 4.
- Navigation impacts: In Bulgaria, river supervision head Ivan Zhekov called the level the lowest since 1990; cruise ships in Hungary and Bulgaria have been forced to dock upriver, and cargo traffic has nearly stopped.
Official Statements & Responses
- Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that the power market would face “critical” conditions from the following week and urged households and large industrial users to limit electricity consumption between 17:00 and 22:00. He said legislation is being prepared for mandatory limits if voluntary measures fail.
- Romanian Energy Ministry announced the July 29 shutdown of the second Cernavoda reactor, noting increased reliance on imports and upward pressure on power prices.
- Hungarian government has asked large industrial firms to voluntarily curtail energy use and is preparing a list of consumers whose usage could be restricted.
On-the-Ground Reports
Low water levels have exposed river-bed features across the basin. In Budapest, the base pillars of the Margaret Bridge became visible, prompting the discovery of a World-War-II bomb. In Serbia, the Danube receded up to 20 m from its usual shore near Novi Sad, leaving small boats stranded. In Bulgaria, 186 cruise passengers were evacuated from the Viking Ullur after it ran aground near Vidin.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the precise flow measurements at the Romanian entry point: Reuters cites 1,650 m³/s, while the Romanian National Institute of Hydrology reports 1,600 m³/s for the same period. Both indicate a dramatic decline from the typical July range of 4,700 m³/s. Additionally, the Hungarian water authority recorded a gauge level of 23 cm on Wednesday—well below the previous record low of 33 cm set in 2018—while other reports express depth only in centimetres, leaving a minor unit inconsistency.
