Danube Water Levels Rise, Restoring Hungary's Paks Nuclear Output

The facility, which relies on the Danube for reactor cooling, was forced offline as extreme heatwaves and prolonged drought depleted the river to record lows. Recent rainfall within the Austrian catchment areas has provided the necessary relief, raising water levels by 19 centimeters compared to the previous week’s low point. By Monday evening, the No. 3 turbine of the second unit is expected to resume power generation.

Downstream, Romania faced similar constraints at its Cernavoda facility. Authorities there resorted to engineering interventions, including the controlled blasting of rock formations and the sinking of rock-filled barges, to redirect the river's flow toward the plant’s cooling intakes. These measures secured enough water to keep the second reactor operational for at least another nine days. Despite the improved supply, officials continue to urge voluntary energy conservation as the heatwave persists across the region.