Hungary Shuts Paks Nuclear Plant for First Time in 44 Years as Danube Hits Record Low

Why the Danube Is Taking Hungary's Only Nuclear Plant Offline

Hungary is taking its only nuclear power station, Paks, fully offline for the first time in 44 years because the Danube has fallen too low to cool the reactors safely. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the penultimate block was switched off at 01:30 on Saturday, leaving the plant running at just 240 megawatts, and that the final block would follow the next day, completing a full shutdown of all four units. The station, located about 100 kilometres south of Budapest, draws its cooling water directly from the river.

The Danube is running at roughly a third of its normal July level in parts of its lower course after weeks of heat and drought across much of Europe. Romania has already taken one of its Danube-cooled reactors offline for the same reason, and more than 100 towns and villages in Hungary are rationing water.

With Paks out of service, Hungary must buy more electricity abroad, a bill the government estimates at 100–200 billion forints ($315–630 million) — a heavy addition for an economy that was already stagnating. To limit the damage, the government will first ask large electricity users to cut consumption voluntarily and is ready to impose binding reductions if needed. It also plans to suspend freight rail traffic at peak times and switch off lighting in public buildings. Magyar said households would be the last to face restrictions and appealed for water conservation, saying every drop counts.

The same drought is squeezing the German economy. Gauges on the Rhine at Duisburg-Ruhrort (150 cm), Düsseldorf (22 cm) and Cologne (67 cm) have all fallen to record lows, forcing barges to carry drastically reduced loads and raising transport costs for industries that depend on bulk shipping. Scientists point to climate change as the reason such extended dry spells are becoming more likely.

Paks Down: The Cost of Cooling a Power Plant With a Shrinking River

Why a 44-Year Record Fell Now

The verified sequence is simple: the last two of Paks's four reactors were shut down on consecutive days after Danube levels fell to a third of the July average in places. Paks is not breaking down — its design depends on continuous river-water cooling, and the river has stopped providing it. That turns a normally fixed-cost, low-carbon workhorse into an involuntary source of instability in Hungary's power system.

The Price of Imported Megawatts

With domestic nuclear capacity gone, the gap must be filled from abroad. The government's own estimate — 100–200 billion forints, or $315–630 million in extra import costs — is the clearest measure of the shock. On top of a stagnating economy, that is a cost that will land on the state budget, on industrial power bills, and ultimately on consumers through tariffs, even if households are protected from the first wave of cuts.

Who Gets Cut First

The government's ordering of measures is explicit: large industrial users are asked for voluntary savings first, mandatory reductions may follow, freight rail services would stop at peak times, and public building lighting would go off. Households are last. The logic is political as much as technical — shielding voters while shifting the adjustment onto manufacturers, precisely at a moment when they can least afford disrupted production.

The Rhine Shows the Pattern Is Not Local

German record lows at Duisburg-Ruhrort (150 cm), Düsseldorf (22 cm) and Cologne (67 cm) show the same drought hitting logistics rather than generation. Barges must sail lighter or not at all, so costs rise for bulk-dependent industries and capacity shifts to rail and truck. Climate science links persistent dry periods to rising temperatures, which means river-dependent energy and freight infrastructure across Europe now faces a recurring, not exceptional, risk.

Preparing for Forced Cuts and Pricier Imports

• Large electricity consumers in Hungary: the government has signalled a move from voluntary savings to binding reductions. Identify shiftable load and agree curtailment procedures with suppliers before an order arrives.
• Energy buyers exposed to Hungarian prices: with Paks offline and the import premium estimated at 100–200 billion forints ($315–630 million), re-model tariffs and contract volumes now rather than at the next settlement.
• Shippers on the Rhine: at Duisburg-Ruhrort (150 cm), Düsseldorf (22 cm) and Cologne (67 cm) barges are already restricted to lighter loads — book rail or truck capacity early to protect delivery dates.
• Households: electricity curbs are intended to hit homes last, but water rationing is already in force in more than 100 Hungarian towns and villages, so treat local water restrictions as binding immediately.