Hungary nuclear plant cuts output because of warm Danube waters - Reuters
Hungary nuclear plant cuts output because of warm Danube waters | Reuters
Hungary nuclear plant cuts output because of warm Danube waters
BUDAPEST, July 14 (Reuters) - Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant cut output at three of its four reactors by a combined 240 MW due to the rising temperature of the Danube river, the plant's operator said late on Thursday.
It said the temperature of the Danube, whose water is used to cool the plant, reached 29.72 degrees Celsius on Thursday, forcing the cut in output from 1430 GMT. The operator did not specify when power could be restored to nominal levels.
The Paks plant has four Russian-built VVER 440 reactors with a combined capacity of about 2,000 megawatts. The reactors became operational between 1982 and 1987 and are scheduled to retire in 2032-2037.
Hungary plans to expand the plant, with Russia's Rosatom building two VVER reactors with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts each, in addition to the currently working four reactors.
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.