Hungary plans to shut down only nuclear power plant amid drought

Hungary's government has announced the closure of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, marking a significant disruption to the nation's energy supply. The decision stems from unprecedented drought conditions affecting the Danube River, which the facility relies upon for reactor cooling. The plant's output had already declined sharply to 965 megawatts by Friday and further to 240 megawatts overnight, compared to its standard 2,000-megawatt capacity. River levels at the plant's location have reached minus 134 centimeters, approaching the minus 144-centimeter threshold that mandates a complete shutdown—substantially lower than the previous record of minus 98 centimeters set in 2018.

The broader drought crisis extends across Hungary's infrastructure and economy. Over 100 municipalities have been placed under water-use restrictions, and the government has appealed to large industrial water consumers to voluntarily curtail their usage. The prolonged heat and low water levels have cascading effects on shipping operations, tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors, compounding existing economic challenges the country has faced.

Regional partners have acknowledged the severity of the situation. Slovakia's leadership indicated readiness to provide assistance and stated it is monitoring energy developments closely. The drought reflects broader climatic patterns across Europe, where successive heatwaves since May have affected multiple nations, with June experiencing the continent's most severe recorded temperatures. Climate scientists attribute these extreme conditions to human-caused climate change.