PHOTO Drought Completely Paralyzes Danube: Power Plants Threatened with Shutdowns, Experts Warn of Long-Term Crisis

The Danube River, Europe's second-longest waterway, is experiencing a severe drought that has pushed its water levels to historic lows. This crisis is crippling navigation, tourism, and crucially, energy production across several countries.

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The Danube has dropped to levels that threaten navigation, tourism, energy supply, and electricity production.

In Hungary, the capital Budapest has seen the Danube's water level drop to a mere 23 centimeters, surpassing the previous record low of 33 centimeters set in 2018. This drastic reduction, exacerbated by a lack of rainfall and heatwaves, has forced tourist boats to alter their routes and significantly hampered cargo transport. Vessels that are still operational must carry substantially less cargo to navigate the shallow riverbed. The situation is so dire that a tourist boat carrying 186 passengers and 52 crew members ran aground near Vidin, Bulgaria, requiring a rescue operation by border police.

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In Budapest, the water level of the Danube dropped to only 23 centimeters, surpassing the previous negative record of 33 centimeters recorded in 2018.

Neighboring Serbia faces similar challenges. Many smaller vessels are stranded on the muddy, nearly dry river bottom in marinas near Novi Sad. Barges and cargo ships have been relocated to the few deeper sections of the river. Consequently, ships are operating at only 30 to 40 percent of their usual cargo capacity, impacting imports, with Serbia's fuel imports in July reaching only a quarter of the planned monthly amount.

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The ship with 186 passengers and 52 crew members ran aground on the Danube near the Bulgarian town of Vidin.

The low water levels pose a grave threat to nuclear power generation. Both Romania and Hungary rely on the Danube for cooling water for their nuclear plants. Romania has declared a state of emergency for August due to reduced electricity production. One reactor at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant has been shut down, and authorities are working to secure enough water for the second unit. Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant, responsible for nearly half of the country's electricity, is operating at only a quarter of its capacity. Officials have warned that the plant, which has been operational for 44 years, could face a complete shutdown for the first time if water levels continue to fall. This potential closure could force Hungary to import significant amounts of electricity, incurring costs estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros. Industrial consumers have already been instructed to reduce their electricity and water consumption, as the government considers measures to prevent household restrictions.

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Ships are transporting only between 30 and 40 percent of the usual cargo due to low water levels.