Hungary: The construction of a riverbed threshold on the Danube has raised the water level by 15-20 cm, preventing the shutdown of the turbines at the Paks nuclear power plant.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that the works to arrange a riverbed threshold on the Danube have had immediate results, increasing the water level by 15-20 centimeters in the area of the nuclear power plant at Paks.

This intervention was essential to avoid shutting down the two turbines currently in operation. According to the plan, the process of restarting the other generating units will begin on Sunday, and the plant will be able to produce again at maximum capacity by next Friday.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of emergency technical measures, which have stabilized the cooling water supply and prevented a major crisis in the national energy system.

The plant at Paks, located 100 kilometers south of Budapest, is the only nuclear unit in Hungary and provides about one-third of the national electricity consumption. The cooling system of the plant depends on the flow of the Danube, and in conditions of heat and drought, it is necessary to reduce production to comply with safety standards. The submerged threshold built in the riverbed serves to artificially raise the water level at the plant's intake points, thus preventing total shutdowns during critical periods.