Hungary uses sunken barges to raise Danube River to keep nuclear plant going
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Hungary is sinking two barges in the Danube River to raise water levels and ensure the Paks nuclear power plant, which supplies over a third of the country's electricity, can continue operating amid record low water levels caused by extreme heat.
- The water level near the Paks plant is currently 122 cm below normal and is expected to drop further, which could force the shutdown of one of its two turbines if levels fall below 132 cm.
- Hungarian authorities are also constructing a riverbed sill using 150,000 cubic meters of stone to slow the current and raise water levels, with 100 troops assigned to work continuously on the project.
- The drought and heatwave affecting the Danube have impacted nuclear power plants across Europe, leading to shutdowns in Romania and France, where extreme conditions have forced multiple reactors offline.
- Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed skepticism about completing the expansion of the Paks plant by a Russian state-owned company, citing water supply issues as a major concern.
