Danube's Record Low Levels Force Shutdown of Hungary's Only Nuclear Power Plant

Hungary's sole nuclear power plant has been forced to curtail and ultimately shut down operations after prolonged heatwaves and record low rainfall caused the Danube river to fall to historically low water levels, removing the cooling water the plant requires to function safely.

The Paks nuclear facility accounts for roughly half of Hungary's electricity generation, making its shutdown a significant blow to the country's energy supply at a time when air conditioning demand is already straining the grid. The shutdown is expected to force Hungary to import additional electricity from neighbouring countries.

The crisis underscores the vulnerability of Central European energy infrastructure to climate-driven hydrological stress. Experts warn that river-cooled nuclear plants across the region face increasingly frequent shutdowns if drought conditions continue to worsen under climate change, raising fundamental questions about long-term energy security.