Hungary to shut down Paks nuclear plant for first time in 44 years as Danube hits record low

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Sunday that the country's only nuclear power plant will be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years due to record-low water levels in the Danube river. The shutdown, which begins in stages, follows a prolonged drought and successive heatwaves across Europe that have crippled the region's energy sector.

The Paks nuclear plant, located south of Budapest, normally supplies about a third of Hungary's electricity. It relies on water from the Danube for cooling, but the river has dropped to unprecedented lows because of insufficient rainfall and sustained high temperatures since May. Magyar said on X that one of the last two generating units would be shut down at 1:30 a.m. local time, reducing output to 240 megawatts. He added that the plant would be fully taken offline by the following day.

The operator of the plant had warned on Friday that declining water levels could force a complete shutdown around the middle of the next week. Sunday's announcement accelerated that timeline. The closure marks the first time Paks has halted operations since it began generating electricity in 1982, highlighting the severity of the current environmental and energy crisis.

Hungary's National Weather Service, HungaroMet, forecast maximum temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days, with a peak of 42 degrees Celsius expected on Thursday. That would match the national temperature record set earlier this summer. The extreme heat has put additional strain on the country's power grid, as demand for cooling rises even as generation capacity declines.

The Paks shutdown is the latest development in a broader energy crisis across Europe, where drought and heat have disrupted nuclear, hydroelectric, and thermal power generation. Several countries have reported similar difficulties, with rivers used for cooling or transport falling to critical levels. The situation has renewed debates about energy security and climate resilience in the region.

Hungarian authorities have not yet announced alternative measures to cover the shortfall in electricity generation. The government is expected to rely on imports and existing reserves to meet demand, though regional energy markets are already under pressure. The shutdown could also affect electricity prices, which have been volatile amid the heatwave.

Environmental experts have pointed to the incident as evidence of the urgent need to adapt critical infrastructure to climate change. Nuclear plants and other facilities that depend on consistent water supplies may become more vulnerable as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. The Paks closure is a stark reminder of the tangible impacts of global warming on everyday life.

While the immediate focus is on managing the current crisis, the event raises longer-term questions about the viability of water-cooled power stations in regions exposed to drought. For now, Hungary is preparing for a rare and complete halt of its main power source, as the Danube continues to recede and temperatures remain dangerously high.