Paks, the only operational nuclear plant in Hungary, has interrupted its activity this Saturday morning after a sharp drop in the flow of the Danube, which is at historically low levels, collapsed its electricity production. This has been communicated by the country's Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, who has launched a working group to manage an unprecedented blackout in the plant's history, which in the past decade provided nearly half of the electricity consumed in the country.
"Shutdown at Paks. The water level of the Danube has dropped even further. The current production is only 480 megawatts, compared to the normal 2,000 megawatts. Important announcements about the decisions made by the Defense working group will be made soon," the Prime Minister explained in a message posted on social media.
The interruption declared this Saturday is temporary, although Magyar had already indicated on Friday afternoon that the facility would have to cease operations for several weeks starting next Tuesday or Wednesday, given that the Danube, essential for cooling the reactors, will continue to decline in the coming hours.
In light of this scenario, the Prime Minister addressed the public this morning to emphasize that the situation is currently "critical," as Hungary is resorting to all available power plants, including some that required repair work to operate at full capacity.
"In recent days, we have asked the largest industrial energy consumers to voluntarily reduce their consumption. A significant number of the contacted companies have agreed to reorganize their production and reduce energy demand during the peak afternoon period," he explained.
Reduction of transport and commitment to teleworking
Magyar detailed that, starting Monday, freight rail traffic will be suspended during the peak hours of tension, between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM, with the aim of "reducing the energy demand of the railway system during the afternoon and freeing up additional reserves."
The government has also decreed that during the first three days of next week, teleworking will be implemented in all public administration positions where service continuity allows it.
"We ask companies and employers to, in the coming days, offer the possibility of working from home to all employees whose work can be done remotely, and to minimize the energy consumption of office buildings as much as possible," he indicated.
In addition, the decorative lighting and all non-essential light in state institutions will be turned off, and the Government expects local authorities to join by applying the strictest energy-saving measures within their reach.