Romania has initiated a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to persistently low water levels on the Danube River, a consequence of a severe continental drought. The state-owned plant, which supplies approximately 20% of Romania’s electricity when fully operational, requires river water for cooling its two reactors.
The decision to shut down Unit 2 was prompted by the "continued significant decrease in the level of the Danube River," according to a statement from the plant operator, Nuclearelectrica, addressed to the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The first reactor at the plant was shut down in late July for similar reasons.
Authorities anticipate that Romania’s electricity supply will remain “fully covered by alternative sources and imports” following the shutdown of the second reactor. The Romanian Ministry of Energy stated that efforts were made to prevent the shutdown, including a military operation to blast rock from the Danube’s Bala Canal to create an underwater barrier and redirect water toward the Cernavoda plant. However, the river’s water levels ultimately receded below the operational threshold.
Nuclearelectrica stated that maintaining both units in a safe shutdown state has no impact on nuclear safety parameters concerning personnel, the environment, or the population.
Meanwhile, in Hungary, authorities are planning measures to increase the water level of the Danube River to ensure the continued operation of the country's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, which is reportedly close to a shutdown for the first time in its 44-year history.