The Danube is so low that it will stop the electric heart of Hungary. The Paks nuclear power plant, which produces nearly half of the country’s electricity, is set to be completely shut down for the first time in its 44 years of existence. The river no longer provides enough water to ensure the normal cooling of its four reactors. This event is historic, but it goes far beyond Hungarian borders: it demonstrates that a drought can undermine a power source considered stable and controllable at a time when heat is driving up demand.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar has warned that Paks could remain offline for several weeks, with no significant rain in the forecast. Major industries are being urged to reduce their consumption, public buildings must turn off decorative lighting, and Parliament is even considering suspending sessions to save energy. Europe has just received an impossible-to-ignore signal: the climate threatens not only dams, crops, or tourism but also the daily operation of its electrical system.

Paks to Shut Down for the First Time in 44 Years

Located about 90 kilometers south of Budapest, the Paks plant is Hungary’s only nuclear facility. Built during the Soviet era, it has four reactors and normally delivers about 2,000 megawatts. On Friday, July 31, its output had already fallen to 965 megawatts, less than half of its usual capacity.

The issue is not a nuclear accident. The plant uses water from the Danube to cool its equipment, but the river’s level has dropped so low that the pumps struggle to draw the necessary volumes. Authorities insist that the shutdown will be carried out in a controlled manner, with no announced risk to the population or the environment. This is precisely the role of safety thresholds: to halt production before operating conditions become unacceptable.

The level could reach minus 144 centimeters at Paks, well below the previous record of minus 98 centimeters set in 2018. The negative value does not mean the river is empty; it indicates that the water level is below the zero reference of the measuring station. According to Péter Magyar, a complete shutdown becomes mandatory at minus 134 centimeters. This should occur as early as next week.

Hungary Loses Nearly Half of Its National Electricity

The output from Paks accounts for nearly 50% of Hungary’s electricity production. Its temporary disappearance from the grid creates an immediate shock. The government is asking energy-intensive companies to voluntarily reduce their needs, particularly between 5 PM and 10 PM, when demand is high. The energy group MOL has committed to reducing its consumption by 40%, or 65 megawatt-hours, according to information released on Friday.

Public institutions must also turn off decorative lighting starting Monday. The ruling party has recommended suspending scheduled parliamentary sessions on Monday and Tuesday. These measures have a symbolic dimension, but they primarily reveal the urgent need to quickly reduce peak consumption while the country replaces a massive source of electricity.

Hungary may seek additional imports from its neighbors and mobilize other production means. However, a regional drought often affects several countries simultaneously. When dams produce less, thermal plants lack water, and air conditioning runs at full capacity, the safety margin tightens across the entire European grid.

The Danube Has Become the Barometer of the European Climate Crisis

Hungary and much of Central Europe are experiencing a prolonged drought. The consequences are already visible on the Danube for navigation, tourism, industry, and agriculture. In Romania, the river’s flow recently dropped to about a third of the usual average for July. Units at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant have also been shut down for safety reasons.

The challenge lies in the combination of several phenomena. The lack of rain is causing rivers to recede; the heat is raising the temperature of the remaining water; cooling needs are increasing; and electricity demand is rising due to air conditioning. This cycle creates tension at the worst possible time. A low-carbon technology can thus remain essential to the energy transition while being physically vulnerable to new climatic conditions.

Why France Must Watch Paks Closely

The Hungarian case resonates particularly in France, home to the largest nuclear fleet in the European Union. Several French plants use rivers for cooling and must adhere to strict limits on the temperature of discharged water. In June 2026, EDF had already shut down reactor number 2 at Golfech when the heat of the Garonne approached regulatory thresholds.

The situation is not identical: Paks suffers mainly from a level that is too low to allow pumping, while French adjustments are often related to water temperature and ecosystem protection. But the common lesson is clear. Production scenarios must simultaneously integrate drought, heatwaves, summer demand, and the availability of import networks.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre predicts that warming could reduce nuclear production in certain European regions due to lower water availability for cooling. The response is not to automatically pit nuclear against renewables. It requires diversifying sources, strengthening interconnections, developing storage, and adapting cooling systems when technically and ecologically feasible.

A Historic First That Could Accelerate Adaptation

Paks was designed to operate well below water levels considered normal at the time of its construction. Yet, the Danube is now approaching an exceptional threshold that has never forced the entire plant to shut down. This crossing reminds us that historical references are no longer always sufficient to size infrastructures intended for several decades.

Hungary must now navigate the coming weeks without its main electricity producer while protecting households and industry. For the European Union, the urgency is to study this precedent before it repeats elsewhere. Power plants, dams, river ports, and factories need adaptation plans based on scenarios more severe than those of the past.

The Danube does not launch an abstract debate. It imposes measurable power reductions, immediate savings, and the shutdown of an entire plant. This crisis does not mean that nuclear energy is incompatible with the climate transition. It means that the transition itself must be designed to withstand the real climate. In this summer of 2026, a river at its lowest has just reminded Europe that its energy security still depends on every centimeter of water.

Sources

• Associated Press — total shutdown of Paks, Danube levels, and conservation measures, July 31, 2026.
• Associated Press — regional impacts of record Danube levels, July 29, 2026.
• European Commission, JRC — climate, water availability, and energy production, accessed August 1, 2026.
• Le Monde — heatwave and constraints on French nuclear reactors, June 24, 2026.