Danube River drought disrupts transport and nuclear power cooling

The Danube River is experiencing critically low water levels due to prolonged drought and high temperatures, causing significant disruptions to transport and energy production across Central and Eastern Europe.

In Bulgaria, water levels near Ruse have dropped to -123 cm below the zero mark. This has led to draft restrictions for vessels and the grounding of a ship near Batins Island. The low water levels pose a threat to the cooling systems of nuclear power plants; while Kozloduy continues to operate under monitoring, the Cernavoda plant in Romania has placed its blocks in a controlled shutdown, and Hungary’s Paks plant has significantly reduced production.

Experts note that engineering efforts in the upper reaches of the river, such as Hungary’s construction of a temporary barrier to boost local levels near the Paks plant, may further reduce water flow downstream to Bulgaria. To mitigate long-term risks, river captains have proposed investing in hydrotechnical structures like stone traverses to narrow the flow and maintain depth. The crisis follows a pattern seen in Germany and Serbia, where low water has already impacted industrial logistics and revealed historical shipwrecks.