Hungary will build an underwater rock barrier in the Danube to raise water levels by up to one metre and secure cooling for the Paks nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Wednesday, after the river fell to historic lows during a persistent heatwave and drought.
The planned sill will require roughly 150,000 cubic metres of rock and cost an estimated six billion forint (about 16 million euros). As an interim step, authorities are considering sinking two 80-metre cargo barges to impound water more quickly. The plant, which has never before faced near-shutdown in its 44-year history, currently runs two of eight turbines at roughly 25 percent capacity.
The crisis extends beyond Hungary: neighbouring Romania faced the possible shutdown of its last operating reactor on Thursday as low river flows and heat strained energy infrastructure across the region.