Danube drought forces Hungary to shut nuclear plant, Serbia cuts hydropower
Danube drought closes Hungary's Paks nuclear plant and cuts Serbian hydropower, triggering emergency conservation calls.
Event / Energy
European Energy Crisis August 2026
Multiple European energy facilities reduced or shut down in early August 2026 due to severe drought and historically low Danube River water levels. Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant closed for the first time in 44 years due to insufficient cooling water, while Serbia reduced hydroelectric output. Emergency electricity conservation measures were implemented across the affected region during extreme heat warnings.
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2026-08-14 to 2026-11-11 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 2 Aug, 15:23 UTC
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What happened
Serbia reduces hydroelectric plant capacity due to low Danube water
Serbia has reduced the operational capacity of its hydroelectric facilities Djerdap 1 and Djerdap 2 to 20% and 30% of their production capacity respectively, due to historically low water levels in the Danube. Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic stated that May, June, and July 2026 saw the lowest production levels at these plants since their commissioning.
Hungary shuts down Paks nuclear power plant due to low Danube water levels
Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the complete shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant on August 2, 2026, marking the first total closure in 44 years. The shutdown was necessitated by historically low water levels in the Danube River, which is used to cool the plant's four Soviet-era reactors. The facility, located approximately 100 kilometers south of Budapest, normally provides about 40% of Hungary's annual electricity production. The plant's output had already been reduced to 240 megawatts before complete shutdown.
Hungarian government calls for emergency electricity conservation
Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced that Hungary's electrical grid, public services, and citizens face enormous pressure in the coming days due to the nuclear plant shutdown. He called on residents, businesses, public services, and local authorities to significantly reduce electricity consumption during the crisis.
Danube River reaches historically low water levels across Europe
The Danube River has reached historically low water levels across multiple countries due to prolonged precipitation deficits and extreme heat affecting Europe since spring 2026. The low water levels have exposed mammoth bones in dried sections of the riverbed in Bulgaria. Water levels are expected to continue declining as temperatures reach 40-42°C in Central Europe.
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