Eastern Europe Braces for Power Curbs With Danube at Record Low

The Paks nuclear power plant in Paks, Hungary. Photo by Akos Stiller /Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloom

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(Bloomberg) — Eastern European consumers are bracing for potential electricity restrictions as record low water levels in the River Danube curbed nuclear power output.

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Hungary is preparing plans for large industrial users to cut their power consumption, as the Paks atomic facility reduces generation because of a shortage of water for cooling, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said. The operator of the plant, which provides over 40% of the country’s electricity production, said on Thursday it will have to shut down within 72 hours. 

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Europe has been seared by a succession of heat waves this summer, straining vital waterways, disrupting energy supplies and driving deadly fires. The consequences are rippling through the Danube basin as another blast of extreme heat builds. The Rhine, another key transport artery, is also on track to reach a record low.

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In Romania, where the Danube spills into the Black Sea, interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan asked citizens to reduce their electricity consumption, especially at peak hours. One of the two nuclear reactors at the Cernavoda plant was shut down this week, forcing the country to buy more expensive imported power.

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“So far, we don’t have any issues in securing imports, but such problems may appear in the following period,” Bolojan said in an interview for Digi 24 TV station late on Wednesday. 

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A decision on whether to shut down the second reactor could happen at “any time” if water levels in Europe’s second-longest river continue to decline, according to the plant’s operator, Nuclearelectrica. 

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This summer’s heat waves have also forced France to curb power output from its nuclear fleet, which forms the backbone of Western Europe’s power system. Power stations draw cooling water from rivers and there’s a risk that as temperatures rise the discharge will get too hot, threatening wildlife.

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In Serbia, the Danube is also close to record low and water supply restrictions are almost certain in August, hydrologist Dejan Vladikovic told state broadcaster RTS. The country’s biggest hydropower plant, Djerdap 1, on the Danube, is currently operating at only a third of its capacity. 

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The Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia recorded its lowest average July flow in the 125-year history of measurements, exposing large sections of riverbed. Further downstream toward Hungary, some river boats can no longer navigate stretches of the river.

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Slovakia’s five nuclear reactor units continue to operate without restrictions. Operator Slovenske elektrarne said that’s because of cooling systems that’s less dependent on current river flows. 

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However, hydropower production has declined. The Gabcikovo Waterworks is operating just one of its eight turbines, state-owned Slovensky vodohospodarsky podnik told Bloomberg.

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—With assistance from Daniel Hornak, Misha Savic, Andras Gergely and Zoltan Simon.

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