The European Commission is convening an emergency meeting within the framework of the Electricity Coordination Group due to the shutdown of Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant caused by record low water levels in the Danube, after Prime Minister Peter Szijjarto warned of an impending energy crisis:
“Although the operator has planned emergency measures to ensure nuclear safety, such events could further complicate the energy balance in the region,” said European Commission representative Anna-Kaisa Itkonen in a comment to Euronews:
Peter Szijjarto warned that Hungary could face an energy crisis as early as next week when the Paks plant, which provides nearly half of the country’s electricity demand, was shut down due to record low water levels in the Danube used for reactor cooling:
“This means that by Monday at the latest, Hungary will lose 2000 megawatts of generation capacity, while demand from the population and public sector continues to rise due to the heat,” said Peter Szijjarto:
