Danube Water Levels Fall, Paks NPP Block Shut Down

The number 3 block of the Paks nuclear power plant has been shut down as water levels on the Danube – used to cool the NPP – have reached record lows, Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány said in a social post on Wednesday.

The minister noted that the shutdown was not an unexpected event, but part of a carefully prepared professional plan that contributed to making every step to manage the low water levels predictable, while putting the secure operation of the NPP first.

The Paks NPP cut output of its number 1 block by 254 MW in the evening on Monday as water levels on the Danube reached -106cm. A day later, it cut output of the number 3 block by 237 MW, with water levels at -112 cm. It started shutting down the number 3 block at 3:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, with water levels at -118 cm.

The Paks NPP has four blocks with a combined capacity of around 2,000 MW.

István Kapitány said he was in constant contact with the Paks NPP, transmission system operator MAVIR and state-owned energy company MVM, and that the public would be informed of any important developments.

He added that Hungarian power plants, renewable energy and increased imports would make up for the decline in output at the Paks NPP.