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Hungary restarts one turbine of Paks nuclear power plant amid rising Danube water levels
Croatia🏛️ PoliticsCenter8/13/2026

Hungary restarts one turbine of Paks nuclear power plant amid rising Danube water levels

Hungary has restarted one turbine at the Paks nuclear power plant after the water level in the Danube River, which cools the facility, rose. The plant produces half of Hungary's electricity and had been operating at around 10% capacity due to low river levels caused by prolonged heatwaves and droughts across much of Europe. These conditions have damaged energy production, shipping, and healthcare systems, costing hundreds of billions of euros in economic losses. Similar issues in Romania led to an emergency energy state in August, with the Danube being redirected to keep the country's sole nuclear plant operational. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced plans to restart a second turbine once water levels rise further, though he warned the increase would be temporary. The government is preparing long-term solutions, including reviewing the planned expansion of the Paks plant, which currently relies on the Danube for cooling. To diversify energy supply, the government aims to launch a tender by August 31 for wind farms capable of producing 700 megawatts of electricity and develop four gigawatts of wind energy capacity.

Hungary has restarted one turbine at its Paks nuclear power plant following a rise in the Danube River's water level, which had previously dropped to record lows due to prolonged heatwaves and droughts across much of Europe. The decision comes amid growing concerns over energy production, shipping, and public health systems affected by the extreme weather conditions. The Danube’s water levels had fallen to historic lows earlier this month, forcing the Paks plant to operate at just 10% capacity with only one of its eight turbines active. This situation threatened Hungary’s energy security, as the plant typically supplies electricity to roughly half of the country’s demand. Similar challenges were faced in Romania, where emergency measures were introduced in August to redirect the river to keep the nation’s sole nuclear plant operational. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Monday that the second turbine at Paks would begin operating after the Danube’s water level rose by 19 centimeters compared to the lowest recorded level last week. He stated via Facebook that the second turbine was expected to start generating electricity by evening on Monday. Magyar noted that anticipated rainfall in Austria could further raise the Danube’s water level, though he warned that the increase would likely be temporary. In response to the crisis, the government has begun planning long-term solutions, including revising the planned expansion of the Paks plant. Under the current plans, the new Paks 2 facility would rely on the Danube for cooling, raising concerns about its vulnerability during future droughts. Magyar emphasized the importance of maintaining the existing plant, stating that “the Hungarian economy cannot function without the plant for months.” The government has also decided to diversify its energy supply, with Magyar announcing that a public tender for wind farms capable of producing 700 megawatts of electricity would be launched by August 31. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop four gigawatts of wind energy capacity to reduce reliance on the Danube for cooling purposes. On Thursday, Magyar revealed that Hungary was accelerating the construction of a low dam on the Danube to ensure sufficient water levels for the Paks plant’s cooling system. He stated that work had already begun on the structure, which would permanently contribute to raising the river’s level. The dam, constructed using approximately 185,000 cubic meters of stone, involves two 80-meter-long barges placed perpendicular to the river’s flow before being intentionally submerged to create an initial effect of the damming process. Military personnel have been working around the clock on the project, with completion expected within the next four weeks. Once finished, the dam is projected to raise the Danube’s water level by 1.2 meters near the Paks plant’s cooling system. Magyar estimated the cost of the project at $19 million. The situation highlights the broader impact of the ongoing drought across Europe, which has caused damage valued at hundreds of billions of euros to the European economy. In Romania, authorities have shut down a second reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear plant due to insufficient water levels for cooling, with the first unit having been turned off at the end of July. Hungary’s actions underscore the urgent need for adaptive infrastructure to mitigate the effects of climate change on critical energy facilities. As the country moves forward with both immediate and long-term strategies, the focus remains on ensuring stable energy production while addressing environmental and economic challenges posed by increasingly severe weather patterns.

How this report was made. Objective News wrote this report from 8 source articles, using AI-assisted synthesis under our methodology. It is our own text, not a copy of any single outlet. Read our methodology.

Responsible editor: Matej BašaSpotted an error? Report it

9 reports

N1 Hrvatska logoN1 HrvatskaIndependentCenterFactual 85Objective 658/10/2026
Hungary restarts one turbine of Paks nuclear power plant amid rising Danube water levels

Hungary has restarted one turbine at the Paks nuclear power plant after the water level in the Danube River, which cools the facility, rose. The plant produces half of Hungary's electricity and had been operating at around 10% capacity due to low river levels caused by prolonged heatwaves and droughts across much of Europe. These conditions have damaged energy production, shipping, and healthcare systems, costing hundreds of billions of euros in economic losses. Similar issues in Romania led to an emergency energy state in August, with the Danube being redirected to keep the country's sole nuclear plant operational. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced plans to restart a second turbine once water levels rise further, though he warned the increase would be temporary. The government is preparing long-term solutions, including reviewing the planned expansion of the Paks plant, which currently relies on the Danube for cooling. To diversify energy supply, the government aims to launch a tender by August 31 for wind farms capable of producing 700 megawatts of electricity and develop four gigawatts of wind energy capacity.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the resumption of operations at the Paks nuclear power plant and related government actions without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes quotes from the prime minister and mentions both challenges and responses without biased language

Why factuality (85): This article focuses primarily on the nuclear plant situation in Hungary and mentions the drying of the Danube briefly. It does not provide detailed information about the WWII shipwrecks or the mammoth bones discovered in Bulgaria, which are central to the primary source document. While it accuratel

Why objectivity (65): The tone is more focused on the energy crisis and less on the historical and environmental aspects mentioned in the primary source. There is a slight bias towards reporting on the Hungarian nuclear plant issue, which could be seen as prioritizing certain aspects over others.

Telegram.hr logoTelegram.hrIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
The water level of the Danube has dropped sharply, Hungary has rushed to build a dam because of the cooling of the Paks nuclear plant

The article reports on Hungary's urgent efforts to build a dam on the Danube River to maintain cooling for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant amid severe drought conditions. The water level of the Danube has dropped significantly due to the heatwave and drought, threatening the operation of the plant. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that construction of a low dam will begin immediately, aiming to raise the water level by 1.2 meters within four weeks. Currently, only two out of eight turbines at the plant are operational, while authorities in Romania have shut down another reactor at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant due to low river levels. The project involves constructing two 80-meter-long barriers and is expected to cost around $19 million.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's infrastructure response to a crisis without overtly endorsing or criticizing any political stance. It provides balanced reporting on the technical challenges and government actions without leaning toward either left or right-wing perspectives.

Why factuality (70): Like article 0, this article focuses exclusively on the Hungarian dam project at Paks, repeating the same factual content without mentioning the historical wrecks or mammoth remains. It provides accurate information about the dam construction but omits broader context about the low water levels affe

Why objectivity (75): The article maintains a neutral tone, presenting facts about the dam construction and its purpose. It does not take a clear stance on the issue but could be seen as slightly favoring the Hungarian government's perspective by emphasizing the urgency of the project.

N1 Hrvatska logoN1 HrvatskaIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
The Danube's water level has fallen to critical levels, Hungary is building a nuclear dam

Hungary is urgently constructing a low dam on the Danube River to maintain water levels necessary for cooling at the Paks nuclear power plant, which is facing operational challenges due to severe drought conditions. The river level has dropped critically, forcing the shutdown of additional reactors at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear plant and nearly leading to a complete shutdown of Paks. Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the start of construction, emphasizing the dam's role in raising the river level by 1.2 meters to ensure continued operation of the plant. The project involves placing two 80-meter-long floating structures into the river to create an initial effect before completing the dam with approximately 185,000 cubic meters of stone. Military personnel are working around the clock, with the project expected to be completed within four weeks.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear power plant without overtly favoring any political side. It includes quotes from the prime minister and mentions the technical aspects of the dam construction, providing balanced context.

Why factuality (70): This article repeats the same core facts about the Hungarian dam project at Paks, again omitting any reference to the historical wrecks or mammoth remains. It accurately describes the dam construction but fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the regional impact of the low water levels.

Why objectivity (75): The article presents the situation in a neutral manner, focusing on the technical details of the dam construction. It avoids overt bias but could be interpreted as subtly supporting the Hungarian government's actions by highlighting the critical nature of the project.

Net.hr logoNet.hrIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
Hungarians urgently build a dam on the Danube to permanently raise the water level

Hungary is urgently building a temporary dam on the Danube River to maintain water levels necessary for cooling at the Paks nuclear power plant, which provides at least a third of the country’s electricity. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the start of construction, stating the dam would raise the river level by 1.2 meters near the plant. The project involves placing two 80-meter-long floating barriers into the river to create an initial effect before the permanent structure is completed. With only two of eight turbines operational due to low water levels caused by drought, Hungary faces significant energy challenges. Romania has also shut down another reactor at its Cernavoda plant for similar reasons.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear plant without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes direct quotes from the prime minister and mentions the technical aspects of the dam construction, providing balanced,

Why factuality (70): The article focuses on the Hungarian dam project at Paks, repeating the same factual content as the other articles. It accurately reports the dam construction details but omits the broader context of the low water levels impacting multiple countries and revealing historical artifacts.

Why objectivity (75): The article maintains a neutral tone, presenting the facts about the dam construction without apparent bias. It focuses on the immediate needs of the Hungarian government without exploring alternative perspectives or potential consequences.

HRT (Hrvatska radiotelevizija) logoHRT (Hrvatska radiotelevizija)State / PublicCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
Hungary is rebuilding the Danube to cool the Paks nuclear plant

Hungary is attempting to quickly build a low dam on the Danube River to maintain cooling water levels at the Paks nuclear power plant, which is facing challenges due to drought conditions. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the start of construction, stating that the dam would permanently raise the river level. Currently, only two of the eight turbines at the Paks plant are operational during the heatwave and drought affecting major European rivers like the Danube and Rhine. Romania has also shut down another reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant due to low water levels. The Paks plant, which supplies at least a third of Hungary's electricity, was nearly fully shut down earlier this week, with the continued operation of the last turbine depending on minor fluctuations in the Danube's water level. Before the dam is completed, two 80-meter-long floating structures will be intentionally submerged to create an initial effect of the dam. The structure will be built using approximately 185,000 cubic meters of stone, and the project is expected to cost around $19 million.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear power plant without overtly favoring any political side. It includes quotes from the Hungarian prime minister and mentions the impact on the nuclear plant's operations, but does not show傾

Why factuality (70): This article repeats the same core facts about the Hungarian dam project at Paks, again omitting any reference to the historical wrecks or mammoth remains. It accurately describes the dam construction but fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the regional impact of the low water levels.

Why objectivity (75): The article presents the situation in a neutral manner, focusing on the technical details of the dam construction. It avoids overt bias but could be interpreted as subtly supporting the Hungarian government's actions by highlighting the critical nature of the project.

Jutarnji list logoJutarnji listIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
Hungary is damming the Danube River to cool the Paks Nuclear Power Plant

Hungary is urgently building a temporary dam on the Danube River to maintain cooling water levels at the Paks nuclear power plant, which provides at least a third of the country’s electricity. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the start of construction, emphasizing the need to raise the river level by 1.2 meters to prevent the plant from shutting down entirely. The project involves placing two 80-meter-long floating barriers into the river to create an initial effect before constructing a permanent structure made of approximately 185,000 cubic meters of stone. Hungarian soldiers are working around the clock, aiming to complete the work within four weeks. This comes amid severe drought conditions affecting major European rivers, forcing Romania to shut down another reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant due to low water levels.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear plant without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes direct quotes from the prime minister and describes the technical aspects of the dam construction, providing balanced

Why factuality (70): The article focuses on the Hungarian dam project at Paks, repeating the same factual content as the other articles. It accurately reports the dam construction details but omits the broader context of the low water levels impacting multiple countries and revealing historical artifacts.

Why objectivity (75): The article maintains a neutral tone, presenting the facts about the dam construction without apparent bias. It focuses on the immediate needs of the Hungarian government without exploring alternative perspectives or potential consequences.

Index.hr logoIndex.hrIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
Hungary urgently builds a dam on the Danube to cool a nuclear power plant

Hungary is urgently building a temporary dam on the Danube River to maintain cooling water levels at the Paks nuclear power plant, which is critical for the country's energy supply. The river's water level has dropped significantly due to drought conditions, threatening the operation of the plant. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the start of construction, stating that the low dam will raise the Danube's water level by 1.2 meters near the plant. The project involves placing two 80-meter-long concrete blocks into the riverbed and is expected to cost around $19 million. Meanwhile, Romania has shut down another reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant due to similar low water levels affecting cooling systems.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear plant without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes quotes from the prime minister and mentions the technical aspects of the dam construction, providing balanced context

Why factuality (70): This article repeats the same core facts about the Hungarian dam project at Paks, again omitting any reference to the historical wrecks or mammoth remains. It accurately describes the dam construction but fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the regional impact of the low water levels.

Why objectivity (75): The article presents the situation in a neutral manner, focusing on the technical details of the dam construction. It avoids overt bias but could be interpreted as subtly supporting the Hungarian government's actions by highlighting the critical nature of the project.

Novi list logoNovi listIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 758/13/2026
Hungary is rebuilding the Danube to cool the Paks nuclear plant

Hungary is urgently building a temporary dam on the Danube River to maintain cooling water levels at the Paks nuclear power plant, which provides at least a third of the country’s electricity. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the start of construction, emphasizing the need to raise the river level by 1.2 meters to prevent the plant from shutting down entirely. The project involves placing two 80-meter-long floating barriers into the river to create an initial effect before constructing a permanent structure made of 185,000 cubic meters of stone. Hungarian soldiers are working around the clock, with completion expected within four weeks. This comes amid severe drought conditions affecting major European rivers, forcing Romania to shut down another reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant due to low water levels.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about Hungary's actions regarding the Danube River and the Paks nuclear plant without overtly favoring any political perspective. It includes direct quotes from the prime minister and mentions the technical aspects of the dam construction, providing balanced,

Why factuality (70): The article focuses solely on Hungary's efforts to build a dam on the Danube for cooling the Paks nuclear plant, omitting any mention of the historical wrecks or mammoth remains mentioned in the primary source. While it accurately reports the dam construction details, it lacks context about the broa

Why objectivity (75): The article presents the situation in a neutral tone, focusing on the technical aspects of the dam construction and its necessity for the nuclear plant. However, it emphasizes the urgency of the project without providing counterpoints or discussing potential environmental impacts of the dam itself.

tportal logotportalIndependentCenterFactual 70Objective 508/13/2026
Hungarians go on strike: build a dam to save the nuclear plant in Paks

The article reports on a rapid construction effort by Hungarian workers to build a low dam near the Paksa nuclear power plant, aimed at raising the water level of the Danube River to ensure continued operation of the facility during drought conditions. The dam, which will be constructed using approximately 185,000 cubic meters of stone, involves two 80-meter-long cofferdams placed one behind the other perpendicular to the river flow. This project is critical because only two out of eight turbines at the sole nuclear power plant in Hungary remain operational due to low water levels affecting cooling systems. Earlier this week, authorities in Romania announced they would shut down another reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear plant due to similarly low Danube water levels. The Hungarian government estimates the cost of the project at $19 million.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about a technical infrastructure project related to energy production and water management without overtly endorsing or criticizing any political stance. It focuses on the practical necessity of the dam to maintain operations at the nuclear power plant during

Why factuality (70): The article discusses Hungary building a temporary dam to save the Paks nuclear plant due to low Danube water levels. This is not mentioned in the primary source document, which focuses on the exposure of WWII wrecks and a mammoth skeleton in Bulgaria. While the drought affecting the Danube is refer

Why objectivity (50): The article presents a clear bias towards Hungary's efforts to protect its nuclear infrastructure, using phrases like 'Ekspresno grade branu da spase nuklearku' (Expressly build a dam to save the nuclear plant). It emphasizes the urgency and necessity of the Hungarian action without providing counte

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