Drought cuts Vltava hydropower output to half the long-term average

Hydropower plants on the Vltava River have produced just 40 to 50 percent of their long-term average electricity output this year due to drought and low water levels, energy group ČEZ said on Friday. All the plants remain in operation, but reduced river flows have severely limited production.

Water levels in reservoirs are also falling, prompting Central Bohemia and South Bohemia to introduce drought measures this week and reduce outflows from some dams. At Vrané near Prague, the river’s flow is currently just 28 cubic metres per second, while the Orlík power plant can generate electricity only from a flow of 15 cubic metres per second.

At Vrané, the plant’s two turbines can process up to 180 cubic metres of water per second. However, current flows are far below that capacity, ČEZ spokesperson Martin Schreier said.