Work is underway in Hungary to construct an underwater sill along the Danube riverbed between Paks and Dunaszentbenedek. The measure aims to guarantee a steady supply of cooling water for the reactors at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and boost electricity generation.
The government decided to regulate the river's water levels last Wednesday. The response plan features two main approaches: the long-term construction of an underwater sill across the riverbed and an immediate solution involving the sinking of two anchored 80-meter barges.
To tackle the crisis, 142 service members from the 14th "Ferenc II Rákóczi" Engineering Regiment, commanded by Colonel Attila Csurgó, were deployed. Military helicopters dropped one-cubic-meter concrete blocks into breach points and critical zones—a technique never before used by the water management authority and made possible only through military involvement.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of several hundred people, water levels had risen significantly by Monday evening, allowing the plant's two operating turbines to function safely. While Wednesday remains a critical day, an influx of water from catchment basins in Austria and Germany is expected by Thursday. A safe, phased restart of the currently offline turbines is scheduled to begin next week.
