Romania blasts Danube rock to keep Cernavodă nuclear plant running

Cernavodă nuclear plant Danube water level rock explosion energy emergency Romania

Extreme heat and drought have cut the Danube River flow at Romania’s border to about 1,550‑1,600 m³/s, roughly one‑third of the normal summer average. The low water level threatens the cooling supply for the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, forcing the shutdown of Unit 1 on July 28 and putting Unit 2 at risk of a similar fate.

The Romanian armed forces carried out a controlled underwater explosion of the Pârjoaia rock formation using 180 kg of explosives. The blast was intended to divert a larger share of the Danube’s flow toward the plant’s intake, raise the water level by 7–10 cm and extend reactor operation by a few days. Additional emergency works include dredging and sinking barges to create a temporary barrier at the Bala branch of the river.

The government declared a state of emergency for August, allocated roughly €1.3 million (RON 7 million) for the hydraulic works, and is seeking voluntary electricity‑consumption reductions from large industrial users during peak hours. Imports from Ukraine, Bulgaria and Hungary are being increased to compensate for the shortfall, while neighboring Hungary and Serbia face similar nuclear‑plant constraints due to the same low Danube levels.

Entities

Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Cristian Bușoi · Danube River · Marcel Neculae · Nuclearelectrica · Pârjoaia rock · Pârjoaia rock formation · Radu Miruta · Reactor 2 · Romania · Romanian Government

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 8 SOURCES] A small detonation was already carried out earlier as the first intervention to divert the Danube. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro
[● 19 SOURCES] Four barges loaded with roughly 500 tonnes of stone will be sunk to divert the Brațul Bala branch toward the old Danube channel. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro
[● 23 SOURCES] Reactor 1 of the Cernavodă nuclear plant was shut down several days before the rock‑detonation operation. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro · pressonline.ro · kronika.ro
[● 30 SOURCES] The Danube water level near Cernavodă was measured at –209 cm and forecast to reach –225 cm on 8 August. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro · pressonline.ro · kronika.ro · www.espress.ro · +2 more
[● 17 SOURCES] The Romanian government has mobilised naval forces to keep Reactor 2 of the Cernavodă plant operational due to extremely low water levels. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro
[● 32 SOURCES] The Romanian Navy prepared a controlled underwater explosion of the Pârjoaia rock to divert water toward the Cernavodă plant. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro · pressonline.ro · kronika.ro · www.espress.ro · +4 more
[● 23 SOURCES] The operation carries significant technical risks, including possible failure to achieve the hydraulic effect and a temporary increase in water turbidity. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro · pressonline.ro · kronika.ro
[● 30 SOURCES] The Danube flow at the border was 1 550 m³/s, about three times lower than the multi‑annual July average of 4 700 m³/s. 60m.ro · transtelex.ro · www.espress.ro · radiochisinau.md · pressonline.ro · +4 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan announced the national energy alert. psnews.ro · www.news20.ro · www.monitorulbt.ro
[○ 1 SOURCE] The USR party blocked a law at the Constitutional Court that would have allowed completion of abandoned hydro plants.
[● 4 SOURCES] Experts warn that the situation puts Romania at risk of a blackout. psnews.ro
[● 17 SOURCES] Romania declared a national energy alert for August due to reduced electricity production. psnews.ro · alephnews.ro · www.europafm.ro · www.monitorulbt.ro · www.news20.ro