Hungary Dams the Danube to Keep Paks Nuclear Plant Running

Hungary is sinking two 80-metre barges in the Danube and building a submerged “sill” to raise water levels at the Paks nuclear plant. The barges should lift the river by up to 20 cm; the permanent sill could add as much as 1 m, keeping the plant’s two remaining turbines running and avoiding a shutdown.

The Straits TimesThe Straits TimesGovernment sinks barges in Danube to protect nuclear plant output

A heat wave and drought have driven Danube levels to historic lows. Paks, Hungary’s only nuclear facility, relies on river water for cooling. In early August the plant operated at roughly 10 % of its 2 000 MW capacity, later rising to about 25 % after a modest rebound. Downstream, Romania’s Cernavoda plant shut its last reactor on 13 August after the Danube fell below the minimum cooling level.

Romania’s Cernavoda Nuclear Plant Goes Offline As Danube Drought Forces Hungary To Dam Europe’s Second-Longest River DW NewsBloomberg

• 12 Aug 2026 – Government announces riverbed sill.

The Straits Times

• 13 Aug 2026 – Romania shuts Cernavoda reactor.

Romanian plant taken offline as Hungary moves to keep Paks operating

• 14 Aug 2026 – Barge sinking begins; PM Peter Magyar says it will raise the water level.

The Straits Times

• 15 Aug 2026 (scheduled) – Completion of barge sinking.

The Straits Times

• 7 Aug 2026 – Magyar declares voluntary household cuts unnecessary after a brief rise.

Hungary Orders Immediate Construction of Danube Weir near Paks Nuclear Plant

• 10 Aug 2026 – Paks restarts a third turbine as the river rises 19 cm.

Rising Danube level allows Hungary to increase production at Paks nuclear plant

• 5 Feb 2026 – Concrete poured for Unit 5 of the Paks II expansion (broader nuclear programme).

Russian Rosatom breaks silence on Hungary’s nuclear project

• Paks supplies roughly one-third of Hungary’s electricity; its four reactors total 2 000 MW.

Rising Danube level allows Hungary to increase production at Paks nuclear plant

• At the time of the barge operation the intake water level was reported between -112 cm and -122 cm. Forecasts warned of a drop to -136 cm to -137 cm within four to five days and possibly -140 cm within a week.

Government sinks barges in Danube to protect nuclear plant output

• The sill will use an initial 35 000 m³ of stone, followed by 110 000 m³.

Government sinks barges in Danube to protect nuclear plant output

• The emergency measures cost about 6 billion forints (? $19 m), versus projected monthly losses of at least 50 billion forints (? $159 m) if Paks shut down.

Associated Press

Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said construction of the two new reactors at Paks II remains on schedule, with concrete work on Unit 5 more than 80 % complete, and that the company is “ready for dialogue” with the government.

Russian Rosatom breaks silence on Hungary’s nuclear project

Attila Aszodi, nuclear-expert professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, noted that installing large cooling towers at the existing reactors would not be economical for the remaining 20-plus years of their expected lifetime.

Reuters

Observations underscore the unprecedented nature of the drought.

The Independent

Water-level figures differ: Magyar’s briefing cited a rise of 1 cm at the pumping station, while other reports placed the gauge at -112 cm and later at -120 cm to -122 cm. Forecasts vary, with some predicting a drop to -136 cm to -137 cm within days and others warning of a possible -140 cm level next week. No single source provides a definitive real-time measurement, leaving uncertainty about the exact margin before a turbine must be shut down.

Government sinks barges in Danube to protect nuclear plant output

Paks supplies about half of Hungary’s electricity; a full shutdown would force costly imports and could trigger industrial curtailments. The emergency water-level interventions show how climate-induced river droughts threaten nuclear-energy reliability in Europe and highlight the interdependence of Hungarian and Romanian power systems.

Romania’s Cernavoda Nuclear Plant Goes Offline As Danube Drought Forces Hungary To Dam Europe’s Second-Longest River