Cernavodă Nuclear Plant faces water shortage as Danube levels drop

Romania is implementing emergency measures to secure cooling water for the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant as the Danube River reaches historically low flow levels. Two reactors were taken offline in late July and early August due to insufficient water intake. To address this, the government is conducting urgent dredging, constructing a jetty to divert water into the supply canal, and preparing high-power pumps. Additionally, the state company Hidroelectrica will release an average of 50 cubic meters of water per second from the Olt River reservoirs for five days.

Energy officials indicate that restarting the reactors is unlikely before the end of August. Consequently, Romania is relying heavily on thermal power plants, such as Turceni and Rovinari, to maintain the national energy system's balance. While repairs at the Turceni plant may allow Group 5 to resume energy delivery by next week, the reliance on coal remains high.

The water shortage is causing regional energy pressures; Bulgaria has announced plans to reduce output at its Kozloduy nuclear plant. Furthermore, Romanian officials estimate that electricity bills could increase by approximately 5% next year due to these supply challenges.