Heatwaves Impacting Europe's Power Supplies

The Pax Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary faces the threat of temporary shutdown due to the Danube River's water levels reaching record lows, which impacts its cooling capacity and electricity production. The plant typically generates around 40% of the country's electricity needs, but currently, only one out of four turbines is operational, posing a risk to Hungary's energy supply security. In contrast, France is the European country most reliant on nuclear energy, with its reactor output losses due to high temperatures and low water levels amounting to less than 1% annually over the years. There are temporary reductions in production during severe heatwaves, but France continues to export electricity and maintains reserves, although heatwaves can decrease the efficiency of cooling stations and exacerbate challenges on the power grid. European governments are moving toward upgrading and developing nuclear power plants to combat the effects of climate change, which causes reduced water levels and increased river temperatures, thereby affecting cooling processes and threatening the stability of electricity supplies.

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