Hungary braces for five critical days as Paks nuclear plant shuts down

Hungary is entering a five-day period of heightened strain as the Danube’s record-low flow compels the Paks nuclear power plant to shut down almost completely, the first such outage in over four decades. Operating at barely 10% of its 2-gigawatt capacity, the plant’s shutdown aligns with an expected heatwave reaching 40 °C, threatening the stability of the national grid and public services. Prime Minister Peter Magyar appealed to citizens, public institutions and companies to slash or shift electricity consumption between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., and said a decision on mandatory cuts for large enterprises would be made on Sunday.

The drought has also hampered river transport and tourism, and forced water-use restrictions across more than a hundred towns and villages, including Budapest’s outskirts. Mark Radnai of the Tisza party estimated the electricity crisis could cost the economy between 100 and 200 billion forints. Authorities continue to monitor the river, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, for further declines.