MAGYAR: PAKS CAN BE RESTARTED EVEN AFTER COMPLETE SHUTDOWN

BUDAPEST, AUGUST 3 /SRNA–RIA Novosti/ – Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant can be restarted even in the event of a complete shutdown, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said.

"The longer the last turbine continues operating, the better, because experts have repeatedly explained that the longer the period between a complete shutdown and a restart, the more likely it is that external power will be needed to restart the plant. But even in that case, specialists will be able to restart the power plant without any difficulty," Magyar stated at a press conference following a meeting with parliamentary group leaders.

He added that similar shutdowns and restarts had already been carried out on individual reactors and that nuclear power plants in other countries had also been successfully brought back online after a complete halt in production.

The record-low water level of the Danube River, whose water is used to cool the reactors, forced the plant's operator to reduce the output of Units One and Three.

Magyar said yesterday that the four-reactor power plant could completely halt electricity generation by the end of the day.