Hungary to build Danube riverbed barrier to keep nuclear plant running

Authorities in Hungary will begin work this week to raise water levels in the Danube River in an effort to keep the country's only nuclear power plant operating, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Wednesday, Report informs via the AP News.

Months of drought and extreme heat have driven one of Europe's largest rivers to record lows, leaving the Paks nuclear power plant close to a full shutdown for the first time in its 44-year history.

The Soviet-built plant, which uses Danube water to cool its four reactors, is now running at just over 10% of its 2,000-megawatt capacity. It normally supplies about a third of Hungary's electricity.

Magyar said in a video posted on Facebook that authorities will begin building a bed sill on Thursday on a section of the Danube just upstream from the plant. The structure, made of concrete or stone and placed in the riverbed, is designed to slow the current and raise upstream water levels.

Around 145,000 cubic meters of rock will be delivered for the work, which Magyar said could raise the Danube by up to one meter. Two 80-meter barges will also be moved to the site near Paks and may be sunk to raise water levels by another 20 centimeters at the plant's cooling pumps. A decision on that step is expected Friday.

"We can no longer consider this extraordinary situation as a one-time natural extreme," Magyar said, warning that the work must be completed quickly to prevent a full shutdown of the plant.

He described the bed sill as a long-term solution that could help prevent water levels from falling below the threshold needed for the reactors to continue operating.

Magyar said the current reduced output at Paks is costing Hungary's economy up to 50 billion forints, or about $158 million, per month, while the planned Danube interventions are expected to cost around 6 billion forints, or about $19 million.