The first phase of a temporary bottom sill at Paks has been completed in just 17 days, using 43,000 cubic metres of rock, according to Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The project was designed to help secure sufficient cooling water for the nuclear power plant amid exceptionally low Danube water levels.

First phase completed across the Danube

The first phase of the bottom sill being built on the Danube at Paks has been completed, with the structure now spanning the full width of the river, Péter Magyar announced on Facebook on Saturday.

According to the prime minister, 43,000 cubic metres of rock have been used for the project since 12 August. He said the first phase was completed in 17 days, considerably faster and at a lower cost than originally planned.

Magyar described the work as an “extraordinary human and professional achievement”, arguing that it had helped the Paks Nuclear Power Plant return to reliable operation at full capacity.

“If the bottom sill had not been completed in time, two Paks turbines would now be standing,” Magyar wrote.

Emergency measure after record-low water levels

The project was launched after weeks of extreme heat and exceptionally low water levels on the Danube threatened the nuclear plant’s ability to obtain enough cooling water. Earlier this month, the situation came close to forcing the plant to shut down almost completely. One turbine was kept running, preventing a total shutdown.

To secure the necessary water supply, the government decided on 12 August to deploy barges and construct a bottom sill at Paks. The structure was intended as a rapid solution to raise the water level around the plant’s intake system and ensure that sufficient cooling water remained available.

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Paks back at full production

The emergency measures came as the nuclear power plant was gradually returning to normal operation. The third turbine began being reconnected last Saturday, while three of the plant’s four units were already operating at full capacity by Monday. The plant subsequently returned to full output, according to Magyar.

The prime minister said the newly completed bottom sill played an important role in allowing the plant to reach peak production again.

Magyar also praised those involved in the construction, saying that during visits to Mohács, Paks and Dunaszentbenedek on Saturday, he had found that people cared about results rather than who was officially in charge of the water-management or military aspects of the project.

“People looked at whether the work had been done – faster and cheaper,” he wrote. The first phase of the bottom sill was completed two weeks ahead of schedule, according to the prime minister. Further work on the project is expected to continue.

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