The electricity supply in the European Union (EU) could face difficulties in the coming weeks due to high temperatures, warned in X European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen.
Jørgensen explains that the situation is currently stable and there are no short-term risks to the reliability of the system.
The Hungarian nuclear power plant "Paks" prevented a complete shutdown as water levels in the Danube River are expected to remain high enough, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Thursday, quoted by "Reuters".
The restart of the six turbines could begin on Sunday and could be operating at full capacity by Thursday or Friday next week, Magyar added.
The plant, which generates nearly half of Hungary's electricity, is operating at only 25% of its capacity, amid a historic drought and record low water levels in the Danube.
Neighboring Romania shut down its last operating reactor last week as drought this summer wreaked havoc on Europe's power generation, shipping and public health systems. The drought has also raised questions in Hungary and Romania about how to adapt nuclear power to an increasingly extreme climate.
"We can now safely say that we will not have to shut down either of the two currently operating turbines, as we will be able to stay above the level where they would need to be shut down," Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in a Facebook video.
He also said that engineering work carried out near the plant had already managed to raise the water level by 10-15 centimeters.
"As a result, the six idle turbines can start to gradually restart at midnight on Sunday at the latest," Magyar said.
Last week, Hungary began construction of a riverbed weir, a crisscrossed dam-like structure at the bottom of the river to regulate the flow of water, which was expected to raised water levels by up to one meter. However, it is expected to take weeks to complete.