The government has made preparations if any steps are needed to ensure Hungary’s secure energy supply, Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday. Kapitány acknowledged a cut in the output of the Paks nuclear power plant. Furthermore, Romania has taken one of the reactors at its Cernavodă nuclear power station offline because of the exceptionally low water levels in the Danube
Kapitány acknowledged a cut in the output of the Paks nuclear power plant due to record-low water levels on the Danube, which the NPP uses for cooling, and warned that another heatwave could arrive in Europe in the coming days, boosting demand for electricity even as water levels fall further.
“We have prepared for this situation,” he said, adding that the ministry is in constant contact with the Paks NPP, transmission system operator MAVIR and state-owned energy company MVM.
“We have held professional-level consultations and are assessing developments from hour to hour,” he said. “We are managing the situation in a responsible and transparent manner, in compliance with all professional norms,” he added. Kapitány said the public would be updated on any important developments.
The Paks NPP said it cut output of its number 1 block by 254 MW in the evening on Monday as water levels on the Danube reached -106cm.
Danube reaches record low in Budapest
An all-time record low water level in the River Danube of 31 centimetres was registered in central Budapest on Tuesday morning, breaking an earlier record of 33 centimetres, the water management directorate (OVF) reported. The authority noted that all Europe’s rivers are critically low.
Romania shuts down nuclear reactor as Danube runs low
Romania has taken one of the reactors at its Cernavodă nuclear power station offline because of the exceptionally low water levels in the Danube, the plant’s operator said on Tuesday.
State-owned Nuclearelectrica said the No 1 reactor had been disconnected from the national grid and shut down because of severe drought and the river’s reduced flow. The Danube provides cooling water for the plant, and its discharge has fallen to an unprecedented level in the past three decades. The lowest reading, 1,750 cubic metres a second, was recorded on 16 July.
The end draws near for Lake Velence as Danube hits a record low in Budapest: will Hungary dry out this year?
Nuclearelectrica said it was in постоян contact with the authorities responsible for water management and would not rule out shutting down the second reactor, depending on how river levels develop. At present, the No 1 unit is not expected to restart before 4 August at the earliest.
Romania’s only nuclear power station first went into operation in 1996. The plant, near Cernavodă on the Danube close to the Black Sea, has two reactors built using Canadian Candu technology and together they generate about 20 percent of the country’s electricity.
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