Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant restart expected in late September

Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has stated that the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant may only be seriously considered for restarting toward the end of September. The shutdown was caused by drought conditions and low water levels on a secondary branch of the Danube River, which prevented the plant from maintaining necessary operations.

Bolojan noted that the reliance on imports, coal, and reserve capacities to compensate for the shortage has increased daily costs. This imbalance may lead to a slight increase in energy prices this autumn.

Once the Cernavodă plant returns to production in October, it is expected to provide approximately 20% of the nation's energy, helping to stabilize the system. Additionally, the Iernut and Mintia power plants are expected to begin injecting energy into the system starting this winter, which should contribute to a decrease in energy prices by next year.