Hungary Races to Raise Danube Level with Rocks and Barges to Save Paks Nuclear Plant
With the Danube at record lows from drought, Hungary will raise river levels to keep the Paks nuclear plant online by sinking barges and building a bed sill upriver. About 145,000 cubic meters of rock will be used, and two large barges may be sunk to lift water at the cooling points, potentially adding up to 3 feet upstream and inches at the pumps. The intervention could cost around 6 billion forints, far less than the monthly cost of a shutdown (up to 50 billion forints), and a final decision on sinking the barges is expected soon.
