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Hungary Gradually Restores Production at Paks Nuclear Plant
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Energy & Infrastructure

Hungary Gradually Restores Production at Paks Nuclear Plant

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant is gradually restoring its electricity generation capacity after a drought forced it to reduce output.
  • Seven of the plant's eight turbines have been reconnected, and it is now operating at nearly half its nominal power, with full capacity expected by Wednesday.
  • The plant, responsible for 40% of Hungary's electricity, had to reduce operations due to historically low water levels in the Danube River, prompting government intervention to increase water flow.

Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, is steadily returning to full operational capacity after a severe drought threatened its output. The plant, which normally supplies 40% of the country's electricity, had to reduce operations significantly due to historically low water levels in the Danube River.

Currently, seven of Paks' eight turbines are back online, allowing the plant to operate at nearly half its nominal power. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that electricity generation is increasing and is expected to reach 1,000 megawatts during the day, with full production of 2,000 megawatts anticipated by Wednesday. This recovery is proceeding as planned.

The reconnection of the plant is proceeding as planned.

— Péter MagyarThe Prime Minister provided an update on the Paks nuclear power plant's recovery.

The drought in early August caused the Danube's water level to drop to record lows, forcing the disconnection of seven turbines. To prevent a complete shutdown, the government took measures to increase the water flow to the plant's cooling system. These actions included constructing a submerged threshold, essentially a dam, and sinking two barges to divert more water into the canal supplying the plant.

The Paks plant, built 44 years ago with Soviet technology, has never been fully disconnected before this incident. Magyar indicated that new state programs are being developed to prevent similar situations in the future, though details were not immediately available. The government's swift intervention ensured the continued operation of a critical energy source for Hungary.

The plant is expected to reach its maximum production of 2,000 megawatts on Wednesday.

— Péter MagyarThe Prime Minister projected the timeline for the nuclear plant's full operational capacity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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