Paks plant further reduces output due to warming Danube

Since Tuesday, the Paks nuclear plant has reduced its output by 560 megawatts due to rising temperatures of the Danube river, the water of which is used for cooling its system.

The National Atomic Energy Agency (OAH) said on its website on Wednesday that the output was reduced by 320 megawatts on Tuesday, followed by another, 240 megawatt reduction on Wednesday. The measure has been necessitated by environmental regulations and has not impacted nuclear safety, the authority said. It added that the current technologies in place could ensure cooling the facility “even with 90 percent less water in the river or if its water were of high temperature”.

According to the plant’s internal regulations, output is reduced by 80 megawatts/0.1 C above 29.5 C of water temperature, the plant said earlier.

Source: MTI