The phased reactivation of the previously shut-down capacity has begun at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, after the level of the River Danube started to rise.
Once the river had climbed back above the critical low recorded a week earlier, it became possible for one turbine to start producing electricity again from Monday evening. The reconnection is taking place under strict technical and safety conditions.
At the beginning of August, the Danube’s water level dropped to a historic low, reaching minus 134 centimetres at Paks. As a result, three of the four reactor units had to be shut down gradually and in a controlled manner. Only a single turbine remained in operation.
Thanks to rainfall over the Austrian catchment areas, the river began to swell along its upper reaches. That flood wave has now reached the Paks section as well. A rise of 19 centimetres in the water level provides enough volume to extend safe cooling.
Plant increases power output
