The rising summer temperature of the Danube river constitutes a security and economic risk to Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant in Paks, green opposition LMP told the press on Wednesday.
The party called on János Süli, the minister without portfolio responsible for the Paks nuclear plant upgrade, to lay out the government’s plans to deal with the situation, Máté Kanász-Nagy, secretary of the national board, said.
The plant announced on its website on Tuesday that the efficiency of the turbines’ condensers had fallen over the past few days because the water of the Danube river, used for their cooling, had become warmer.
As a consequence, the thermal efficiency of the blocks had deteriorated and the plant generated less electricity than earlier, it said. Although the plant did not rule out a further drop in output, it declared that the blocks’ operation is not at risk.
Kanász-Nagy said on Wednesday that as summers are likely to become hotter in the years to come, the river’s water will become a less efficient cooling material, which in turn will pose a security risk to the plant.
Tackling the problem by reducing the plant’s production will, on the other hand, risk the return on the investment into the plant, he said, especially after production starts in the two new blocks after 2026.
LMP expects the minister’s answers on how the government is prepared to adjust to climate change and resolve the situation, he said.
Featured image: MTI
Source: MTI
1 comment
Sure, Danube river water temperatures may be rising, but by itself it does not cool the reactors. Depending on the time of year, it is chilled in the plant either by brine or propylene glycol compressors. This drops the circulating water to the desired temperature. The cooling system is not dependent on the seasonal swings in temperature of the water from the Danube.