[REVISION HISTORY]

Balkan energy crisis: Nuclear shutdowns and fuel shortages

Updated 10 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-14 08:50 UTC → 2026-08-14 09:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The regional energy crisis in the Balkans has intensified as drought and infrastructure failures impact both thermal and nuclear production. In Romania, extreme drought and record-low Danube water levels have forced a controlled shutdown of both reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. ~~The shutdown~~ Unit 1 was disconnected in July, followed by the disconnection of Unit ~~2, which~~ 2 in August 2026. As Unit 2 provides approximately 20% of the nation’s electricity, ~~has prompted~~ the government ~~to rely~~ is relying on wind, hydro, coal, gas, and energy imports to maintain grid stability. Authorities are exploring long-term solutions, such as the Bala 2 project, to improve water flow to the plant. While Romanian energy companies have reported mixed financial results—with Nuclearelectrica seeing a 36.6% increase in net profit for the first half of 2026 and Hidroelectrica reporting a 62% increase—the regional shortage continues to benefit Bulgaria, which has seen a surge in electricity exports and profits. In Serbia, the Kostolac thermal power plant’s A2 block remains a critical issue following a fire that destroyed air heater components and damaged internal structures. This outage, representing approximately 4.5% of national electricity production, is estimated to cost between 420,000 and 750,000 euros per day in lost production. Simultaneously, Bosnia and Herzegovina faces a significant production deficit. Elektroprivreda BiH reported that its 2025 production fell short of targets by 1,452.4 GWh, driven by poor coal quality and a shortfall of 1.01 million tons in coal deliveries from its own mines. Consequently, the company has had to purchase additional electricity from the market to meet domestic demand.

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