Danube water levels trigger an unprecedented energy emergency in Europe

Europe is enduring an exceptionally hot, dry summer. As a result, vast wildfires have torn through thousands of hectares in France and Spain, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and causing particularly severe damage to local wildlife and plant life.

A record drought is affecting the continent’s major rivers, including the Rhine in Germany and the Po in Italy. The iconic Danube is also at exceptionally low levels. In Budapest, for instance, the water level has fallen to just a few centimetres, smashing previous records.

In response to this unprecedented situation, Romania and Hungary have introduced emergency measures to address an imminent threat: a major electricity shortfall.

The Danube, a vital artery for the Old Continent

Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga, the Danube stretches for roughly 2,850 kilometres. Rising in Germany’s Black Forest, it passes through or forms borders with 10 countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, before flowing into the Black Sea.

A lifeline for the Old Continent, it supplies drinking water to millions of people, acts as a crucial inland waterway for freight and tourism, and provides the cooling water required by several of the region’s major power stations.

Water shortages threaten the core of nuclear power

The water in these rivers is not used solely for transport or irrigation; it also provides an essential cooling system for nuclear power stations. In Hungary, the Paks power station, which alone generates around half of the country’s electricity, is now facing a critical situation. The facility has had to operate at reduced speed, at barely 10% of its capacity, with a complete shutdown feared in the coming days. Such a scenario is unprecedented in more than four decades of operation.

Romania’s Cernavodă power station reactors are under threat too. The situation has become so serious that the Romanian navy has carried out dramatic explosive operations to blast rocks and try to redirect the river flow towards the site. It is a race against time to prevent a nationwide blackout, as both countries rely heavily on their nuclear generation.

Knock-on effects for residents and the economy

In Hungary, thousands of households and more than 300 businesses have played their part by voluntarily cutting their energy use, with major pharmaceutical and industrial groups following suit. These measures have eased pressure on an already strained electricity network, although relying on imported power is expected to be extremely expensive.

The disruption extends far beyond energy, affecting everyday life as a whole. Water restrictions have been imposed in more than a hundred towns and villages, while river navigation and tourism have been badly hit. At the same time, the river’s dramatic retreat is revealing remnants of the past, including shipwrecks and even prehistoric bones. It highlights how vulnerable infrastructure is to climate disruption.