Romania's Only Nuclear Plant Halts Unit as Danube Hits Record Low, Affecting 20% of Power Output
Romania's Energy Ministry announced on the 13th that one operating reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, the country's only nuclear facility, has been shut down because record-low Danube River water levels left it without sufficient cooling water. The plant previously supplied about 20% of Romania's electricity, which will be replaced by imports and other generation sources. Danube flow in Romania has fallen below 40% of normal. Hungary's Paks nuclear plant, which generates about half of domestic output, also faces shutdown risk.
Romania's Energy Ministry announced on the 13th that the Cernavoda nuclear power plant in the southeast of the country has halted one of its two reactors that was in operation. Due to persistent high temperatures and drought, the Danube River's water level has fallen to a record low, leaving the plant unable to obtain sufficient cooling water. The ministry said power supply would not be affected.
The Cernavoda plant is Romania's only nuclear power station and previously accounted for about 20% of the country's electricity generation. The ministry said the power previously supplied by the plant would be made up through imports as well as other generation sources such as hydro and wind. The Danube's flow within Romania has now fallen to below 40% of normal levels. In late July, one unit at the plant had already been shut down due to falling water levels, and the government at the time called on businesses and households to conserve electricity.
The Cernavoda plant was also shut down in 2003 due to drought. This summer, much of Europe has experienced successive heatwaves and frequent droughts. Upstream on the Danube in Hungary, the country's only nuclear plant, Paks, which generates about half of domestic electricity, also faces the risk of a full shutdown as river levels decline.