How Drought Threatens Electricity Supplies in Europe
Introduction to the Drought Crisis in Central and Southeastern Europe Riverbeds reduced to tiny streams, asphalt melting like butter, dried-up fields — these are currently the images of drought in Central and Southeastern Europe. The record-breaking lack of rainfall in recent months and this summer’s heatwaves have caused severe damage to the region’s economy and infrastructure. The agriculture sector has been particularly affected, with harvests in Southeastern Europe, especially maize and sunflower crops, expected to be significantly below average.
Agriculture and Transportation Disruptions The heatwaves are also repeatedly disrupting road, rail and, above all, shipping transport. This has led to a significant decrease in the transportation of goods, further exacerbating the economic crisis in the region.
Energy Crisis in Central and Southeastern Europe But, most importantly, the drought has triggered an unprecedented crisis in electricity generation in several Central and Southeastern European countries, forcing companies to halt production due to the historically low water level of the Danube. Hungary and Romania are currently the most affected by the energy crisis, with other countries bordering the Danube — Austria, Slovakia, Serbia, and Bulgaria — also suffering from low water levels, although not as severely.
Country-Specific Effects of the Drought DW outlines the situation in each country and explains why, despite facing similar weather conditions, some are more severely affected than others. The energy mix of each country, as well as their preparedness for droughts, plays a significant role in determining the severity of the crisis.
Hungary: Most Severe Energy Crisis in Decades No country in the region is currently as severely affected by drought and heat as Hungary. The Paks nuclear power plant south of Budapest had to largely shut down operations due to the record-low water levels of the Danube. The plant is currently operating at around 12% of its capacity, and if Danube water levels continue to drop, the plant will have to be shut down completely.
Hungary’s Unfavorable Energy Mix The Hungarian government has been urging large energy consumers to conserve electricity, resulting in several car manufacturers, including Audi Gyor, oil and gas company MOL, and other large companies scaling back production. Hungary’s energy crisis is the worst in decades due to the country’s unfavorable energy mix, which relies heavily on the Paks nuclear power plant for electricity generation.
Romania: Blasting Rocks to Redirect Water Romania is experiencing a similar, though somewhat less severe, energy crisis. The Cernavoda nuclear power plant, located on the Danube in the southeast of the country, produces roughly one-fifth of Romania’s electricity. Due to the river’s exceptionally low water level, one of the plant’s two 700-megawatt reactors was taken offline last week.
Romania’s Measures to Address the Crisis Romanian authorities blasted a rock formation to divert more water into the Danube’s eastern branch, where the nuclear plant is located. Dozens of tons of rock were also dumped into the river to channel more water into that branch. The government has announced that it would, if necessary, issue a decree ordering large factories to suspend production.
Other Affected Countries Serbia, Slovakia, Austria, and Bulgaria are also feeling the effects of the drought, although to varying degrees. Serbia’s energy mix is similarly ill-suited to prolonged dry periods, with around 65% of its electricity generated by coal-fired power plants and about 25% from hydropower.
Slovakia and Austria: Less Affected In contrast, Slovakia and Austria are less severely affected due to their more diversified energy mixes. Slovakia’s nuclear power plants use cooling towers, which require less river water, while Austria generates around 60% of its electricity from hydropower, with a significant portion coming from storage and pumped-storage plants.
Bulgaria: A Success Story Bulgaria, on the other hand, has been able to avoid an energy crisis despite the drought. The country’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant is operating at almost full capacity, thanks to its well-designed cooling system. Bulgaria’s large-scale battery storage facilities have also enabled the country to balance supply shortages and peak demand without relying on expensive imports.
Bulgaria’s Innovative Energy Solutions Bulgaria’s storage facilities have a capacity of 3.4 gigawatts and a storage capacity of 8.6 gigawatt-hours, corresponding to 16% of the country’s total installed power generation capacity. This has made Bulgaria a regional market leader in new energy concepts and a hub for power grid stabilization and greater price stability in the electricity market. Source: WorldNewsAPI | Read original