A turbine-generator failure has forced Unit 1 of Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant to operate at half capacity. With another unit undergoing maintenance and a third out of service for an overhaul, only one of the plant’s four units is currently running at full power.
The incident occurred at 8:02 AM on Wednesday, when one of Unit 1’s turbine-generator units shut down following the activation of generator protection, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant announced.
As a result, the unit’s output fell by more than 100 megawatts and it is now operating at 50% capacity
Three of four units operating at reduced capacity or offline
Unit 1 is not the only part of the facility affected by reduced output. According to reports, Unit 2 was also scaled back to 50% capacity from Wednesday because of maintenance ahead of a major overhaul. Unit 4 has been undergoing a major overhaul since 18 September and is not generating electricity. This leaves Unit 3 as the only unit currently operating at full capacity.
Data from Hungary’s National Atomic Energy Authority showed that the plant was already generating around 1,274 megawatts on Tuesday, compared with its nominal capacity of just over 2,000 megawatts. The latest incident has further reduced the plant’s available output, although the operator has not announced how long Unit 1 will remain at half capacity.
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Is the Danube’s low water level to blame?
The turbine failure was attributed to the activation of generator protection, not to the Danube’s low water level. The operator has not reported any connection between the two issues.
Nevertheless, low river levels have posed significant challenges for the plant in recent months, as the Danube supplies the cooling water needed for its operation.
On 13 October, Paks recorded the lowest water level ever measured there, according to Index. A submerged sill constructed over the summer raised the water level by around 61 centimetres, helping the plant avoid further production restrictions.
During the summer, seven of the plant’s eight turbines had to be shut down at one point because insufficient water was reaching their cooling systems. The military transported 38,000 tonnes of rock to the area to help construct the submerged sill between Paks and Dunapataj.
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The plant has already faced a historic shutdown
Drought conditions and exceptionally low Danube water levels forced the plant to gradually reduce output during the summer. On 2 August, it was shut down completely for the first time in its history. Paks returned to full output on 26 August, following improvements in water conditions and the measures taken to maintain water levels near the cooling-water intake.
