Romania has been forced to suspend operations at its only nuclear power plant as the Danube River reached record-low water levels, directly affecting the cooling water supply for the reactors.
The national nuclear energy company Nuclearelectrica announced on Thursday (August 14) that it would proceed with a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at the Cernavoda plant, having already halted the other reactor last month.
According to analysis by the European climate observatory Copernicus, a severe drought currently covering large parts of Europe has pushed flow rates in nearly two-thirds of the Danube's length to their lowest levels in more than three decades.
Romeo Urjan, director of the Cernavoda plant, told AFP that he does not expect the facility to resume operations "within the next ten days."
The Cernavoda plant typically supplies about one-fifth of Romania's electricity output. Previously, the government spent over €2 million (about $2.3 million) to redirect the Danube's flow to maintain cooling, including blasting a large rock obstructing the water flow and sinking four barges loaded with rocks into the riverbed.
Romania's Energy Ministry said alternative sources such as wind power and electricity imports are expected to ensure adequate supply, while urging citizens to "consume electricity responsibly." The ministry also warned that if conditions worsen, large industrial customers could face restrictions on consumption during peak evening hours.
Hungary's nuclear plant also affected
Meanwhile, Hungary—Romania's neighbor—has so far avoided a complete shutdown of its only nuclear plant at Paks, which houses four reactors also using Danube water for cooling.
However, with river levels forecast to drop further, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said his government had requested the construction of a submerged wall (spillway) to control the flow near the plant. Two 80-meter-long barges are also positioned at Paks to be sunk if needed to raise water levels.
The Paks plant, which usually provides about a third of Hungary's electricity needs, has been partially shut down since late last month.
The low water levels of the Danube—Europe's second-longest river, stretching 2,850 km from western Germany to its mouth on the Black Sea—have also severely affected shipping traffic along its entire course.
