Hungary will shut down the Paks nuclear power plant on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, for the first time in its 44-year history, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced.

The decision follows a further decline in the Danube River's water level, which the plant relies on to cool its reactors. Located 120 kilometers south of Budapest, the Paks plant supplies over 40% of Hungary's electricity.

The Danube has reached record-low levels after months of below-average rainfall and heat waves since May. On Wednesday morning, the water level in Budapest was measured at 23 centimeters, significantly below the previous record low of 33 centimeters set in 2018.

Prime Minister Magyar stated, "Due to a further decline in the Danube's water level, the second-to-last generating unit at the Paks nuclear power plant will be shut down at 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT)." As a result, the plant was producing only 240 megawatts before the complete shutdown.

Magyar warned the plant could remain offline for weeks and said the government would seek voluntary power cuts from large users, in addition to the 240 megawatts already pledged, with penalties for noncompliance. He also noted that households would be the last to face restrictions.

The surge in imported electricity prices due to the shutdown could cost Hungary between 120 billion and 240 billion forints ($315 million to $630 million, €273 million to €546 million), according to Tisza Party Vice Chairman Mark Radnai, who shared the estimate on Facebook.

Hungary's water authority projects that the Danube, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, will continue to fall in the coming days.

Sources