Danube drought forces Hungary, Romania to dim cities and cut power

A record-breaking heatwave and historically low water levels on the Danube have plunged Hungary and Romania into their worst energy crises in decades, forcing both countries to dim landmark buildings, curtail industrial production, and appeal to citizens to slash electricity use.

Nuclear Plants Hobbled by Vanishing River Water

Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant, which normally generates about half of the country's electricity, has been operating at roughly 12% capacity after the Danube fell to record lows, depriving the facility of adequate cooling water. The plant, which uses a once-through cooling system dependent on large volumes of river water, came close to a complete shutdown when levels dropped to just 30 centimeters in Budapest in late July.dw+1

In Romania, one of two reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear plant was taken offline, while authorities blasted rock formations and sank barges to divert more water toward the facility. Romania declared a 30-day state of alert on July 31, and its Ford ↘ 1.22% and Dacia Renault SA factories halted production until August 19.tvpworld+2

Budapest switched off decorative lighting on its Parliament building, Buda Castle, and Chain Bridge, while Bucharest dimmed street lighting by a third and darkened landmark buildings. Romania's Energy Ministry urged all consumers to reduce electricity use between 7 PM and 11 PM through the end of August.romania-insider+1

Neighbors Step In as Region Scrambles

Ukraine exported 61 gigawatt-hours of electricity to Hungary in the last week of July, making it the second-largest supplier after Poland, according to data from ENTSO-E cited by the Kyiv Independent. Moldova's President Maia Sandu warned that without rainfall to restart regional power plants, her country — dependent on energy imports — could face worsening shortfalls.kyivindependent+1

On Thursday, Romania's government approved a Risk-Preparedness Plan for the electricity sector, outlining tiered responses to nine crisis scenarios including drought, though officials stressed it does not automatically impose consumption limits.agerpres

Cautious Optimism and Long-Term Reckoning

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Wednesday that the Danube's water level at Paks had risen to seven centimeters above the minimum operational threshold, offering what he called "cautious optimism." He announced an 868 billion forint energy development plan that includes battery storage, wind power tenders by August 31, and a 1.5 billion euro EU-funded grid modernization program.hungarianconservative

Magyar blamed 16 years of energy policy under the previous Orbán government for leaving the country unprepared, accusing it of blocking wind power development and failing to build storage capacity. A survey by polling firm Europion found that 85% of Hungarians had reduced their electricity use, though political divisions ran deep: 68% of Magyar's Tisza party voters blamed the former government, while 45% of Fidesz supporters faulted the current cabinet.dailynewshungary+1

With temperatures still exceeding 40°C across the region and no sustained rainfall forecast, both governments warned the crisis would persist for weeks even if river levels recover, as restarting nuclear plants is a slow process.dw