Hungary’s energy supply is secure, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, following a reduction in the output of the Paks nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube.

István Kapitány highlighted that the Danube’s water level in Hungary had dropped to a level never seen before, owing to the extreme drought of recent weeks.

“Since the Danube provides cooling water for the nuclear power plant, a temporary reduction in output was necessary to ensure safe operation. This is not a malfunction, but a responsible measure taken in accordance with pre-established rules,” he said.

According to the power plant’s website, this summer the combined effect of prolonged drought and a heatwave caused the Danube’s flow rate to drop dramatically, which on several occasions in June and July necessitated a reduction in the output of the A-block units at Paks Nuclear Power Plant in order to comply with environmental regulations concerning the temperature of the water returned to the river after being used to cool those units.

Due to the exceptionally dry weather, the Danube reached its lowest ever recorded water level at Paks on Monday (-106 cm), breaking all previous records. In response to the situation, specialists reduced the output of Unit 1 by 254 megawatts as of 21:45 on Monday.

The power plant’s specialists are continuously monitoring developments in water flow and water temperature, and are making the necessary decisions in line with the current situation, they added.

In his post, the minister noted that another heatwave is expected to arrive in Europe in the coming days. This is likely to further increase electricity consumption, while the water level of the Danube may continue to drop. They are prepared for this situation.

The ministry is in continuous contact with the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, MAVIR, and MVM. The necessary professional consultations have been held, developments are being assessed hour by hour, and all measures that may be required to ensure the country’s secure energy supply have been prepared in advance, István Kapitány outlined.

The situation is being handled responsibly, transparently, and in strict compliance with professional regulations. The public will be kept informed of all important developments, the Minister of Economy and Energy stated.

Artificial intelligence was used for the translation of parts of the original Hungarian text.