Drought in Serbia causes critical drop in Danube River, limiting electricity production

Serbia is facing a significant reduction in electricity production due to a severe drought that has caused the Danube River to reach a historic low. Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, Serbia's Minister of Energy, stated that the country's two largest power plants, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, have been forced to operate at drastically reduced capacities.

The Djerdap I and Djerdap II facilities, which normally supply about 18 percent of Serbia's total electricity, are now functioning at only 20% and 30% of their capacity, respectively. Hydropower accounts for nearly a third of Serbia's energy mix, with the remainder coming from thermal power plants. The extreme heatwaves plaguing Europe since May have severely impacted river levels, affecting the operation of these crucial hydroelectric facilities.

Meteorologists report that the riverbed has not received significant rainfall for the past five to six weeks, contributing to the critically low water levels. Neighboring Hungary is experiencing similar energy challenges. Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the shutdown of the country's sole nuclear power plant, which also depends on Danube water for cooling, highlighting the widespread impact of the drought across the region.

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The two largest power plants in the country, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, had to reduce their output to only 20 and 30 percent of their capacity, respectively.