Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, which generates nearly half of the country’s electricity, could be powered down as soon as this weekend due to record-low water levels on the Danube River, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Saturday.
Paks’ four Russian-made reactors are operating at just a quarter of their combined 2-gigawatt capacity and were expected to be powered down completely for the first time in 44 years next week amid a further projected decline in water levels.
Water from the Danube is used to cool the facility and falls in water levels amid a lack of rain have also created disruptions in shipping and tourism . The cuts could also hit the wider economy, which grew less than forecast in the second quarter.
“The Danube’s water level has declined further,” Magyar said in a Facebook video. “Therefore, engineers at the Paks plant have implemented another round of output reductions overnight.”
“A complete shutdown could take place earlier, as soon as this weekend.”
The energy crisis could cost Hungary 100 billion to 200 billion forints ($315 million to $630 million) due to the surging price of imported electricity, Mark Radnai, vice chairman of Magyar’s Tisza party said on Facebook.
Magyar, who has warned that Paks could remain idled for weeks, said his cabinet would issue a decree seeking voluntary power demand cuts from large users on top of some 240 MW already committed and apply sanctions if these reductions are not met.
Depending on power production and import levels, the decree will also enable grid operator MAVIR to seek mandatory reductions in power consumption from big users and temporarily cut certain large consumers off the grid, if needed.
“Households will be the last in the chain of restrictions,” Magyar said.
While 400 MW of power output lost due to a malfunction at Hungary’s largest gas-fired power plant in Szazhalombatta could be restored on Sunday, additional measures were needed to ease the load on the power grid, he said.
As of Monday, rail cargo services will be stopped between 15:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT to reduce power demand. The government will also order public sector staff to work from home for the first three days of next week and ask companies to follow suit wherever possible.
Floodlights on Hungarian public buildings and non-essential lighting will also be switched off, Magyar said, adding that record-low water levels have also triggered water consumption restrictions in the worst-hit areas.
“Each drop of water counts,” he said.
