Hungary shuts down only nuclear power plant amid unprecedented drought
Tehran - BORNA - Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the Paks nuclear plant in central Hungary will be shut down on Sunday, marking the first complete shutdown in its 44-year history. The plant supplies nearly half of Hungary's electricity.
Magyar said power generation fell to 965 megawatts on Friday and dropped to 240 megawatts overnight, far below the usual 2,000 megawatts.
The plant, built with four Soviet-designed reactors south of Budapest, pumps water from the Danube for cooling. But low river levels have affected the pumps' ability to draw sufficient water.
Water levels at Paks fell to minus 134 centimeters, with forecasts predicting a drop to minus 144 centimeters — significantly lower than the previous record of minus 98 centimeters set in 2018.
The Danube, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, is one of several European rivers whose levels have dropped due to months of heat and drought. Hungary has imposed water restrictions on more than 100 towns and villages.
The government has also asked companies that use large amounts of water to voluntarily reduce consumption.
The unprecedented climate event has disrupted shipping, tourism, agriculture, and industry in a country already facing slow growth.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country is closely monitoring the energy situation and is ready to assist.
Europe has experienced consecutive heatwaves since May, with the most intense heatwave on record hitting the continent in June.
Scientists with the World Weather Attribution group say evidence shows human-caused climate change is the main driver of the unprecedented temperature increases.
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