Technical failure cuts output at Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant

BUDAPEST, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant reported on Monday that the output of its Unit 4 reactor dropped by 160 megawatts at 8:13 a.m. local time (0613 GMT) following a malfunction in its control system equipment.

The plant, located about 100 kilometers south of Budapest, did not disclose details about the nature or extent of the fault, nor did it provide an estimate for the duration of repairs.

Paks is Hungary's only nuclear power facility and supplies roughly half of the country's electricity.

The last major incident at the plant occurred in April 2003, when a malfunction in the fuel cleaning system caused overheating and damage to 30 fuel assemblies. Radioactive gases were released, prompting the evacuation of the reactor hall. Enditem