Hungary's only nuclear plant on brink of shutdown as Danube River dries up

Hungary's only nuclear plant, which relies on water from the Danube River, could be forced to close amid a drought. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Romania races to divert Danube water to nuclear reactor as shutdown looms  Reuters

06 August 2026 Romanian authorities resumed operations for the sinking of four rock-filled barges to increase the flow of the Danube toward the Cernavodă Power Plant on Thursday, August 6. Scheduled for a day earlier, the sinking was postponed because of strong currents. After they were filled, the four barges were ali

Record low water levels threaten to close the two reactors – which supply a fifth of the country's electricity

These actions are a sobering glimpse into the future and one that suddenly feels far less unreal

Hungary is facing an energy crisis as the Danube River, which cools the nation's largest power plant, dries to record lows amid a severe drought.

Romanian naval forces blew up part of the drought-hit Danube river.

Europe's nuclear fleet hopes to dodge summer shutdowns  euractiv.com

Europe's second-longest river is carrying less water than it has in decades, revealing shipwrecks and shutting down nuclear reactors.

The cooling of Hungary and Romania’s nuclear power plants by pumping water directly from the Danube to chill the reactors makes them particularly vulnerable to drought, unlike the plant in Slovenia.

Record low water levels in Europe's major rivers have ​reduced electricity output and shrunk company earnings, stoking fears about the economic impact of searing heat and erratic rainfall. Governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity and avert an energy crisis as record low w

PM Péter Magyar says country nearly forced into decision as extreme heat and low water levels in Danube pose challenges in region Hungary has come “within millimetres” of having to shut down its nuclear power plant overnight, prime minister Péter Magyar said, as low water levels in the Danube continue to pose challeng

Water levels in the River Danube, which flows through ten countries from Germany to the Black Sea, have dropped to just 23 centimetres in Budapest as severe drought grips central Europe.

Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant was operating at about 10% of capacity because of a lack of cooling riverwater. In Romania, the military blew up a rock outcrop in a bid to improve water flow to the Cernavoda plant.

Romania's military detonated part of the Danube riverbed to redirect water towards the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.

Europe’s brutal heatwave has already sparked record-breaking temperatures, deadly wildfires and mass evacuations. Now a new crisis looms: an energy shortage

Hungary’s only nuclear plant on brink of shutdown as Europe heatwave threatens energy crisis  CNN