Hungary’s only nuclear power plant may be shut down due to falling Danube water levels

Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, the Paks nuclear power plant, could shut down this weekend due to record low water levels in the Danube River, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

The plant’s four reactors are currently operating at 25 percent of their total capacity. Earlier, authorities had said they could shut down next week due to a further drop in the water level in the Danube, which is used to cool the plant.

“The water level in the Danube has dropped even further. That’s why engineers at the Paks nuclear power plant have started another round of production cuts overnight. A complete shutdown could happen as early as this weekend,” Magyar said, according to Reuters. He added that the plant could be out of service for several weeks.

The Paks nuclear power plant produces almost half of Hungary’s electricity.