Hungary is set to shut down its only nuclear power plant for the first time after water levels in the Danube River dropped below the minimum required to cool its reactors. The move will temporarily halt operations at the 44-year-old Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which supplies more than 40 per cent of the country's electricity. Authorities say the shutdown could significantly increase Hungary's reliance on imported power while placing additional pressure on the national electricity grid.

According to Prime Minister Peter Magyar, one of the remaining operating reactors was scheduled to shut down at 1:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, with the final reactor to be taken offline later the same day. The unprecedented suspension follows a prolonged period of drought and exceptionally low river levels, leaving insufficient water to safely cool the plant's four reactors. Magyar has warned that the country's 2,000-megawatt nuclear generation capacity could remain offline for weeks if conditions do not improve.

The government has already begun implementing measures to manage the expected energy shortfall. Large industrial consumers, including automobile manufacturers and battery production facilities, have been urged to reduce electricity consumption voluntarily. Legislation has also been approved allowing such reductions to become mandatory if the situation worsens. Emergency contingency plans include broader restrictions aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and essential services, including hospitals and healthcare facilities.

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Beyond its impact on electricity generation, the drought has exposed broader vulnerabilities in Hungary's water infrastructure. Authorities have begun work on a long-delayed modernisation of the country's irrigation network as water shortages increasingly threaten agricultural production. On Friday, thousands of residents in the Danube town of Szentendre, north of Budapest, were left without water after demand overwhelmed the local supply system. The Hungarian Army responded by deploying water tankers and distributing approximately 7,000 bags of drinking water to affected residents.

The disruption highlights the growing impact of prolonged drought and extreme heat on Europe's energy infrastructure. Across the continent, declining river levels, record temperatures and recurring wildfires have disrupted power generation, strained electricity networks and damaged agricultural output. Hungary's decision to suspend operations at its only nuclear power station underscores the increasing challenges climate-related events pose to energy security and critical infrastructure, as governments across Europe seek to adapt to more frequent and severe weather extremes.

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