Low Danube levels cut nuclear output in Hungary, Romania
Why it matters: Heat-driven shutdowns are straining both grids, raising import needs and the risk of higher power prices.
Record-low water levels on the Danube have forced nuclear power cuts in Hungary and Romania as a heatwave drives up electricity demand. Hungary’s Paks plant, which produces nearly half the country’s electricity, has cut output to less than half capacity and could shut down بالكامل within 24 to 72 hours because cooling-water intake is failing. In Romania, one 706-megawatt reactor at Cernavoda is already offline, and the second was set for shutdown before operator Nuclearelectrica kept it on the grid for now as conditions allowed. Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said disruptions could last one to two weeks. The Danube’s flow at Romania’s entry point fell to about 1,650 cubic meters per second, far below the usual July range.