Hungary uses sunken barges to raise Danube River to keep nuclear plant going

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

Plant was supplying around 50 MW from unit-1 before shutdown

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

This is only the second time in three decades that the country's sole nuclear power plant, which supplies nearly 20% of electricity for Romania's 19 million residents, has been shut down.

This is only the second time in three decades that the country's sole nuclear power plant, which supplies nearly 20% of electricity for Romania's 19 million residents, has been shut down.

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

Scorching heat and low rainfall in recent weeks have left the Danube River at record lows and forced the state-owned Cernavoda plant to shut down its first reactor in late July.

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.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube has seen flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July in 34 years, according to an analysis published on Monday by the European climate change observatory, Copernicus.

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

Scorching heat and low rainfall in recent weeks have left the Danube River at record lows and forced the state-owned Cernavoda plant to shut down its first reactor in late July.

In response to alarming low levels of the Danube river, Romania's energy sector is on high alert. Unit one of the Cernavoda nuclear power facility has ceased operations due to water scarcity. To maintain unit two's functionality, emergency measures including river dredging have been implemented. Authorities have also u

Romania begins shutdown of nuclear plant's 2nd reactor amid low water levels on Danube River  Toronto Star

Romania has begun a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant

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

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

10 August 2026 The Danube level close to Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear plant increased by some 8 cm compared to the projected level after two barges were sunk to change the water flow, the manager of the nuclear plant, Romeo Urjan, announced, cited by Digi24 on Sunday, August 9. The updated forecast indicated at that mom