Hungary uses sunken barges to raise Danube River to keep nuclear plant going
Europe's summer of extreme heat has affected nuclear power production across the continent.
Hungary has sunk two barges to raise the water level of the Danube River, ensuring the Paks nuclear power plant remains operational, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Saturday. The European summer has experienced extreme heat, causing the Danube's water level to plummet to record lows, impacting power generation at the Paks nuclear plant, which supplies more than a third of Hungary's electricity.
Authorities are sinking the barges to raise water levels, with the sinking process commencing at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The prime minister reported that the plant's water level has risen by 1 centimeter due to the barge sinking. Magyar warned that the Danube's water level could drop below 132 centimeters by Monday, potentially forcing one of the plant's two turbines to shut down.
Earlier this week, the Hungarian Defense Ministry allocated 100 troops to work around the clock on the barge sinking project. Nuclear power plants in Europe have faced challenges due to the summer's drought and heat. Romania temporarily shut down a nuclear power plant this week due to low water levels, while France has seen its nuclear power plants affected throughout the summer, with six of its 57 reactors shutting down due to a heatwave.
A jellyfish invasion in another European country also led to the temporary shutdown of parts of a nuclear facility. Magyar has expressed concerns about completing an expansion of the Paks plant by a Russian state-owned firm, signed by his predecessor, citing the water issue.
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