Hungary opens sluice and sinks barges to protect nuclear plant as Danube levels fall

Emergency engineering work is under way as authorities brace for a further sharp drop in river levels before conditions are expected to improve later this week.

Scotland’s small hydro operators, which helped put the country at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution, are being put at risk by a business rates and payments regime which could also threaten billions of pounds of investment in the next generation of...

Hungarian working crews are sinking two barges into the Danube River in an attempt to raise water levels and stave off an energy crisis.

Europe's summer of extreme heat has affected nuclear power production across the continent.

BUDAPEST, Aug 15 - Hungarian authorities will sink two barges in the Danube on Saturday to raise the water level at the Paks nuclear plant to avert a shutdown of one of its last two remaining turbines, as water levels are dropping, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

Hungary to sink two barges near nuclear plant to raise Danube levels to ensure cooling​​  Reuters

Paks nuclear plant ⁠i currently operates at around 25% of its capacity

Cernavoda shutdown poses immediate problems for Moldova, which relies on Romanian power ​to cover its own electricity shortages Romania has been forced to shut down the last working ⁠reactor at its only nuclear plant after drought caused the Danube river to fall to record lows – a rare move that will immediately affect

The plant is not expected to restart for at least 10 days, while Romania plans to rely on alternative power sources and imports.

Romania has shut down its only nuclear plant in a rare move prompted by the lack of cooling water from the Danube River. Hungary, meanwhile, is racing to dam the Danube, trying to keep its Paks plant online.

The Cernavodă plant, which produces 20% of Romania's electricity, is not expected to be restarted within the next 10 days.

Romania shut down its only nuclear plant on Thursday, in a rare move due to drought that has caused the Danube river, whose waters cool the plant, to fall to record lows.Romania shuts nuclear plant as Danube dropsMuch of Europe is facing a new summer heatwave amid a drought that has driven rivers to historic lows.The C

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar cast doubt on the Russian-led expansion of the country’s sole nuclear power plant after the record-low level of the Danube river almost led to a full shutdown of the existing reactors.

Romania had tried to avert a total shutdown of the plant, which usually generates a fifth of the country's electricity.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube, the river whose water is used to cool the plants, has recorded flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube, the river whose water is used to cool the plants, has recorded flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July.

13 August 2026 Romania’s nuclear group Nuclearelectrica (BVB: SNN) announced that, on the morning of August 13, 2026, it began procedures for the controlled shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant. The shutdown procedure of Unit 2 at Cernavodă began at 8:00 AM, according to data consulted by Economica.n

Romania to shut down nuclear plant due to low Danube  euractiv.com

It will be the plant’s first shutdown since a 2003 drought, as unprecedented heatwaves and rain shortages across Europe this year have caused the level of the Danube -- whose waters help cool the plant -- to plummet.

Hungary is taking steps to raise the Danube River's level to keep its only nuclear power plant running

Hungary’s government plans interventions on Danube River to keep nuclear plant running  AP News

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