Romania sinks Danube barges to sustain Cernavodă nuclear reactor

Cernavodă nuclear plant Danube barge sinking water level increase reactor 2 energy supply

Romanian authorities resumed a special operation to sink four rock‑filled barges in the Danube, creating artificial thresholds that divert part of the river’s flow toward the Danube Old Arm. The barges, each loaded to a draft of 1.9 m, are being sunk one by one in controlled floods, with each operation lasting three to four hours. The aim is to raise the water level at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant by roughly 10–12 cm, enough to keep the cooling system of Reactor 2 operational.

The Danube’s flow at the Romanian border has fallen to a historic low of 1,400 m³/s, and the water level at Cernavodă is currently –220 cm, projected to reach –230 cm by 13 August. Reactor 1 has already been shut down because of the low level, and officials warn that Reactor 2 could be forced offline within three to four days if the situation does not improve. The operation, overseen by the National Administration of Romanian Waters (ANAR) and its deputy director Sorin Rîndașu, has faced several delays due to safety concerns and strong currents, but the latest sinking began on 7 August 2026 and is expected to continue over the next days.

Entities: Bala arm · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Danube River · National Administration of Romanian Waters (ANAR) · National Administration “Apele Române” · Reactor 2 · Sorin Rîndașu

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] If water level continues to fall, Reactor 2 could be shut down within three to four days. (ANAR warning)
[● 2 SOURCES] Reactor 1 at Cernavodă has already been shut down due to low water level. (Nuclearelectrica report)
[● 2 SOURCES] The Danube flow at the Romanian border is at a historic low of 1,400 m³/s. (National Institute of Hydrology forecast)
[● 2 SOURCES] The water level at Cernavodă is currently –220 cm and projected to reach –230 cm by 13 August. (ANAR monitoring data)
[● 2 SOURCES] Each barge sinking operation takes three to four hours. (ANAR operational schedule)
[● 5 SOURCES] Four barges loaded with rock are being sunk in the Danube to redirect flow toward the Danube Old Arm. (ANAR operation details)
[● 2 SOURCES] The barge sinking operation has been delayed multiple times due to safety concerns and strong currents. (ANAR statements)
[● 2 SOURCES] The operation aims to raise the water level at Cernavodă by about 10–12 cm. (ANAR estimates)