Hungary's Prime Minister Warned of the Five Most Critical Days for the Country's Power Grid

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that the country is facing a critical situation in the energy sector due to a record drop in the Danube’s water level. The last operational reactor at the country’s only nuclear power plant, Paks, is at risk of being forced to shut down, as the river level near the plant has dropped to minus 133 cm, with the critical threshold set at minus 134 cm.

The head of government assured that the facility’s safety is fully guaranteed, and about 50 specialists are working to ensure the minimum required volume of cooling water. To partially offset the power shortage, operations at the Dunamenti Thermal Power Plant have resumed; however, the power grid is under significant strain due to the summer heat.

A government working group on defense is considering the possibility of imposing mandatory energy consumption restrictions on large industrial enterprises. Citizens have been urged to minimize the use of electrical appliances during peak evening hours from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and on Monday, the prime minister will discuss a plan to overcome the crisis with parliamentary leadership and interim President Agnes Forsthofer.

Source: Magyar on Facebook.

In Budapest, authorities have decided to limit the speed of the metro and trams to reduce electricity consumption. A new schedule will be introduced on city transit lines, under which metro cars and trams will accelerate more slowly.

Hungary has officially established the National Asset Recovery Agency, which will be responsible for tracking down and recovering state funds that were illegally misappropriated in previous years. The new agency is one of the key anti-corruption reforms of Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government following his victory in the parliamentary elections.