Hungary has started bringing generation back online at the Paks nuclear power plant after higher Danube water levels eased cooling limits. The restrictions had driven the facility’s output to historic lows. Operators have begun restoring production as river conditions improved.
Before the restart, prolonged drought and extreme heat pushed the Danube to record-low levels. Paks was operating at around 10% of capacity during the most constrained period. At that point, only one of the plant’s eight turbines was online, increasing pressure on Hungary’s electricity system. Under normal conditions, the plant supplies nearly half of national electricity demand.
Danube level rise and restart timeline at Paks
The Danube has risen by 19 centimeters from its recent low. This change enabled operators to start restarting a second turbine on 10 August. Generation from that turbine is expected to resume later on the same day.
Additional rainfall in Austria could raise Danube flows over the following days. It remains unclear how sustained the improvement will be for cooling operations. The restart therefore depends on whether river levels continue to recover.
Cooling constraints and implications for Paks 2 planning
The disruption has highlighted concerns about Hungary’s long-term energy security amid extreme weather impacts on nuclear generation. The government is reassessing elements of the planned Paks 2 expansion. The new reactors would also require Danube water for cooling.
The drought period underscored risks associated with exceptionally low river levels for future nuclear output. Those concerns are now part of the reassessment process tied to the expansion plans.
Wind buildout plans alongside existing solar dominance
Hungary is also pursuing diversification of its electricity mix beyond nuclear generation constraints. The government plans to offer 700 MW of new wind capacity by the end of August. This offer supports a broader target to raise Hungary’s wind fleet to 4 GW by 2030.
Current installed wind capacity is around 300 MW, while solar power exceeds 8.5 GW. As a result, renewable generation remains heavily concentrated in photovoltaic capacity. The wind-focused policy direction reflects an effort to accelerate development in that segment.
