Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, Paks, has suspended operations due to a combination of severe drought and record-breaking heat, marking the first such shutdown in the facility’s 44-year history.
The outage highlights the increasing intersection of climate stress and energy security in Central Europe, where cooling water availability is critical for reactor safety.
4% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, with an annualized growth rate of 1.
The decision to halt operations comes as a broader heatwave sweeps across the continent, with Switzerland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic recently reporting temperatures exceeding 40°C.
Extreme weather conditions have triggered widespread disruptions, but the impact on Hungary’s nuclear capacity is particularly acute given the country’s reliance on the single site for the majority of its electricity generation.
This development adds a new layer of complexity to Hungary’s economic outlook.
The economy expanded by just 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, with an annualized growth rate of 1.6% falling short of analyst expectations.