Hungary has begun reconnecting a turbine at the Paks nuclear power plant after the Danube River's water level rose, marking a first step toward restoring output at the facility that normally supplies roughly half the country's electricity.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the restart process, saying the turbine was expected to generate power by evening. A single turbine produces 225 megawatts, while the plant's usual output stands at 2,000 megawatts. The Russian-built plant currently operates at roughly ten percent of capacity.
Last week, Hungary shut down three of Paks's four reactors after the Danube fell to historic lows. The river has since risen 19 centimetres above that minimum, but must climb at least five centimetres further before all four units can resume operation.