Budapest: Hungary is taking an unusual emergency step to protect its only nuclear power plant as the Danube River continues to fall to extremely low levels after a prolonged drought and intense summer heat. Authorities plan to sink two large barges near the Paks nuclear power plant in an effort to raise the local water level and ensure that the facility has enough water for cooling.
The emergency operation comes as the Paks plant is already producing only about one quarter of its normal capacity. The plant depends on water from the Danube to remove heat from its operating systems. With the river continuing to shrink, officials are concerned that another turbine could have to be taken offline if the water level falls below a critical point.
Hungarian authorities say the two barges, each about 80 metres long, are being used as a temporary measure. By placing them in the river, officials expect to create an obstruction that will raise the water level near the plant by around 20 centimetres. That increase could provide enough additional water to keep the remaining operating equipment running while a larger solution is being prepared.
The situation has developed rapidly. Earlier in August, rising water levels briefly allowed Paks to increase its electricity production. That improvement did not last, however, as the Danube began falling again. Authorities are now working against time because forecasts suggest that critical water levels could be reached as early as Monday.
Hungary is also preparing a more permanent solution. Engineers are working on a submerged structure in the riverbed that would help hold back water near the nuclear plant. The structure, sometimes described as a riverbed sill, is expected to raise the water level by considerably more than the barges. However, construction will take several weeks, meaning it cannot immediately solve the current problem.
The crisis at Paks is part of a much larger problem affecting the Danube region. Neighbouring Romania has already been forced to shut down its remaining operating reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant because of the same shortage of cooling water. Romania had previously taken its other reactor offline in July. The Cernavoda facility normally supplies around one fifth of Romania's electricity.
Romanian authorities had attempted several emergency measures to keep enough water available for the plant, but the continuing fall in the Danube eventually made continued operation impossible. Officials have said the shutdown was carried out in a controlled manner and does not represent a nuclear safety accident.
The developments in Hungary and Romania have raised wider questions about the ability of nuclear power plants that depend on rivers to cope with increasingly severe weather conditions. Nuclear plants require large amounts of cooling water, and prolonged drought can become a serious operational challenge even when the reactors themselves are functioning normally.
The extremely low Danube is also affecting other parts of the regional economy. Low water levels have created difficulties for shipping and river transport, while farmers, industries and communities are facing increasing pressure from the lack of water. The situation has been made worse by unusually high temperatures across Europe.
For Hungary, the immediate priority is keeping Paks operating and protecting the country's electricity supply. Paks provides a major share of Hungary's power and has been an important part of the country's energy system for decades. A further reduction in output would increase pressure on other electricity sources and could require greater reliance on imports.
The government is therefore using the barges as a short term defence while the larger river engineering project is completed. The unusual decision highlights just how severe the current conditions have become.
The crisis also comes as Hungary plans to expand nuclear power through the Paks 2 project. The falling Danube has added a new consideration to discussions about the future of nuclear energy in the country, particularly the need to make sure that new and existing reactors can continue operating safely during periods of extreme drought and heat.
For now, officials are focused on preventing another reduction in Paks production. The sinking of the two barges is an extraordinary response to an extraordinary environmental situation. It is also a reminder that Europe's energy security is increasingly linked to the availability of water, as climate extremes place new pressure on infrastructure that was designed under very different conditions.