The Hungarian government decided to build a sill on the Danube’s bottom near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to raise the water level needed to cool the reactors, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Wednesday.
“The government has decided to immediately begin construction of a sill on the Danube between the two banks of the river, between the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and the town of Dunaszentbenedek, as early as tomorrow. 35,000 cubic meters [1 .236 million cubic feet] of rock will be used in the first stage, followed by 110,000 cubic meters of rock,” Magyar said in a video statement.
He said this would ensure that within a few weeks the water level in the Danube near the nuclear power plant’s cooling channel does not fall below 90 centimeters (35.5 inches), so that Hungary’s most important power plant can operate at full capacity.
Magyar said that two 80-meter-long barges would also be stationed along the banks.
“If necessary, we are prepared to briefly raise the water level in the Danube by up to 20 centimeters through the controlled sinking of these two barges. This will prevent a complete shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant until the construction of a permanent bottom sill is completed,” he added.
The Hungarian prime minister said that the shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant costs Hungary 137 million euros ($157,9 million) per month, while the one-time cost of raising the water level is 16.5 million euros. Since Monday evening, the second of eight turbines at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant has been running, meaning the plant is now generating 480 MWh of electricity instead of the planned 2,000 MWh.
On Saturday, Hungary lowered its heat alert level from the maximum level 3 to level 2.