Mágyar stated that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant was just a few millimeters away from a complete shutdown
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated on August 4 that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant was “just a few millimeters” away from a complete shutdown due to critically low water levels in the Danube.
According to the prime minister, the situation improved somewhat after the water level stopped falling and rose by 1.5 centimeters by morning.
“We were just a few millimeters away from a complete shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, but then the water level stopped falling, and by morning it had risen by 1.5 centimeters. The last turbine is currently operating safely. I’m heading to Paks,” Magyar wrote.
Discussions regarding a possible complete shutdown of the nuclear power plant have been ongoing for several days. The reason is the abnormally low water level in the Danube and its high temperature, which are affecting the plant’s operation.
The day before, Antal Kovács, head of communications at MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt., stated that a potential shutdown of the plant does not pose any additional safety risks. According to him, shutting down and restarting the power units is a standard procedure that plant personnel regularly perform during scheduled maintenance. Such operations have been carried out approximately 160 times throughout the plant’s operational history.
As previously reported, due to record-low water levels in the Danube and a heat wave, Romania and Hungary faced the threat of having to shut down their nuclear power plants and a potential electricity shortage.
He announced this on Facebook.
The last turbine at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary continues to operate, although the water level in the Danube near the plant has approached the threshold at which a shutdown must begin. This was reported by Péter Magyar, according to “Ukrainska Pravda,” citing his Facebook post.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense has begun blasting operations on the Danube to divert part of the water flow to ensure the water supply to the nuclear power plant in Cernavodă.
