Hungarian authorities sank two barges and opened a sluice in the Danube River on Saturday to prevent a nuclear power plant shutdown [1, 2].
The emergency measures were necessary to ensure the Paks nuclear power plant has enough cooling water as drought-driven river levels fall. Because the plant provides around one-third of Hungary's electricity [3], any loss of capacity could threaten the national power grid.
The Paks plant has a total capacity of two gigawatts [3]. Currently, two turbines remain operational, but officials said that one of these was at risk of shutting down if water levels continued to drop [2]. By sinking the barges and adjusting the sluice, the government aimed to create a sill that raises the water level enough to sustain the cooling systems.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar highlighted the urgency of the situation as the drought persisted. "The Danube has given us days, not months," Magyar said [4].
The operation comes amid a severe European drought that has impacted river navigation and industrial cooling across the region. While some reports suggested the plant had already shut down, government actions on Saturday indicate the measures were taken specifically to avoid such an outcome [1, 2].
The use of sunken vessels as makeshift dams is a drastic step to maintain the operational status of the remaining turbines. The government is monitoring the river levels closely to determine if further interventions are required to keep the facility online.
“"The Danube has given us days, not months."”
This incident underscores the vulnerability of nuclear energy infrastructure to climate-driven water scarcity. Because nuclear plants rely on massive volumes of river or sea water for cooling, extreme droughts can force shutdowns regardless of the plant's mechanical health. Hungary's decision to physically alter the riverbed with sunken barges demonstrates a high level of desperation to maintain energy security in the face of unpredictable environmental shifts.
