Hungary urges power cuts as low Danube levels force first-ever shutdown of sole nuclear plant

Published Aug 3, 02:00 AM UTC

Hungary's only nuclear power plant, Paks, was forced offline for the first time in its 44-year history due to critically low water levels on the Danube River. The plant normally supplies about half of Hungary's electricity. To compensate, Hungary has roughly doubled electricity imports from neighboring EU states, primarily Czechia, with average daily imports now over three times higher than in July 2025. The government urged households to avoid using washing machines and dryers between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. to ease grid pressure. The situation is expected to worsen as a heatwave pushes temperatures to 40°C, increasing demand. Wholesale electricity prices are spiking, with day-ahead prices approaching €500 per megawatt-hour. Deputy leader Márk Radnai estimated the surge could add between €275 million and €550 million to Hungary's energy bill.