Romania declares energy alert as low Danube water endangers Cernavodă reactor FAST-MOVING

Romania Danube low water Cernavodă nuclear plant energy alert night‑time rationing

The Romanian government declared a 30‑day national state of energy alert after the Danube’s flow fell to historic lows, threatening the operation of Unit 2 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, which supplies roughly 10 % of the country’s electricity. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced emergency measures, allocating 7 million lei to install metal barges and a submerged threshold at the Bala–Old Danube bifurcation to redirect water and maintain the required cooling‑water level. The Romanian Naval Forces are conducting hydrographic and bathymetric surveys in the same sector, and officials are studying the possibility of sinking barges to increase flow. Former President Traian Băsescu called for a state of emergency, while the government discussed additional electricity imports from Ukraine. Local authorities in Iași, led by Mayor Mihai Chirica, introduced night‑time street‑light rationing expected to save about 10 MWh per night. The low water level also affects neighbouring Hungary and France, which have had to curtail output at their own Danube‑fed nuclear reactors.

Entities: Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant · Danube River · Ilie Bolojan · Mihai Chirica · Nuclearelectrica · Romanian Government · Traian Băsescu

Claims

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

[● 4 SOURCES] The Romanian government declared a national energy alert for August. (existing)
[● 5 SOURCES] Authorities are considering sinking barges to redirect water flow to the Bala branch to keep Reactor 2 operating. (existing)
[● 5 SOURCES] The government allocated 7 million lei to the Ministry of Transport for works to maintain water level for Reactor 2. (existing)
[● 6 SOURCES] Low water levels in the Danube reduced flow to the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, forcing the shutdown of Unit 2. (existing)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The reduction in nuclear production prompted local authorities to implement power rationing measures. (0a386d04-593a-4397-b563-6667b5233aee)
[● 7 SOURCES] Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced emergency measures, including river‑flow interventions, to support the nuclear plant. (existing)
[● 2 SOURCES] Iași mayor Mihai Chirica ordered night‑time electricity rationing to save about 10 MWh per night. (existing)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Former President Traian Băsescu called for a state of emergency over the energy crisis and warned about reactor cooling risk. (existing)
[● 4 SOURCES] The Romanian Naval Forces are conducting hydrological and bathymetric surveys between km 345 and km 346 of the Danube at the Bala‑Old Danube intersection. (existing)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The government approved emergency funding to install metal barges at the Bala‑Old Danube bifurcation to redistribute water flow. (Second article)
[● 3 SOURCES] Data collected by the naval specialists will be provided to authorities for emergency technical solutions. (All three articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Romanian government established emergency measures to keep Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant operating due to low Danube water levels. (All three articles)