Dancing on the edge: The energy system is close to a summer record without the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.
The shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant has put the country in an unprecedented situation due to the extremely low water level in the Danube. The stability of the power grid now depends on domestic reserves and imports, while MAVIR indicates a peak of 7282 megawatts. This is 200 megawatts short of the summer record, and Paks’ electricity production has dramatically decreased compared to last year. A new government regulation has also come into effect, providing a framework for reducing power generation to prevent further problems.
Forty degrees and a power plant that the Hungarian electricity system had believed would never shut down for decades. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant – the system’s most stable point – may only be shut down for hours, due to the extremely low Danube water level. This has never happened before. Meanwhile, the Hungarian electricity grid is showing a peak of 7282 megawatts tonight, which is only about 200 megawatts, or 3%, short of the summer record of 7488 megawatts set on June 29. However, Paks produced more than four times as much electricity in June. The system’s stability now depends on domestic reserves and imports, and largely on how much consumption the country can restrict in the coming days. A new government decree has also been in effect since Saturday evening, which outlines what will happen if consumption restrictions are too low.
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Magyar Péter made an important announcement: there is no need for voluntary consumption reduction.
