Hungary can avoid stricter energy-saving measures if the current level of voluntary electricity conservation is maintained, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday after a meeting of the government’s emergency task force at the MAVIR electricity transmission system operator’s control centre.
In a video posted on Facebook, Magyar said electricity demand stood at around 6,300 megawatts, significantly below earlier forecasts. At the time of his statement, national consumption was more than 500 megawatts lower than experts had anticipated.
He said authorities hoped to maintain that margin during the remaining peak hours of the day and throughout the coming days.
Magyar said the Danube’s water level at Paks had stabilized and was ‘right on the threshold’, with the coming hours expected to determine whether electricity generation can continue at the final operating turbine of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.
He added that the situation was more encouraging in Budapest, where the Danube had stopped falling and had risen by one centimetre during the day.
The prime minister said he remained in constant contact with the management of the Paks plant and was receiving updates overnight, pledging to inform the public immediately of any significant developments.
Magyar called on businesses to continue their voluntary electricity-saving efforts, while noting that some companies had yet to join the initiative. He specifically referred to KALL Ingredients Ltd, an isoglucose producer linked to businessman Lőrinc Mészáros that has received substantial state support and preferential loans, saying the company had not yet responded to requests to voluntarily reduce its 13-megawatt electricity consumption.
According to the prime minister, Wednesday is expected to be one of the most challenging days of the current heatwave, as prolonged high temperatures increase electricity demand by heating buildings and urban infrastructure.
He urged companies to fully comply with their voluntary consumption reduction commitments between 5pm and 10pm throughout the week and asked households to continue limiting electricity use during the same period wherever possible.
Magyar said authorities were continuously monitoring water levels on the Danube, weather conditions across the river’s catchment area and the balance of the national electricity system.
He also urged the public to rely only on trustworthy sources of information and to refrain from sharing false or misleading reports.
‘We will get through this. Together we will protect Hungary and emerge stronger from this difficult period,’ the prime minister said.
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