Romania has shut down its sole nuclear power plant due to critically low water levels in the Danube River, a consequence of a persistent drought impacting the region. The Cernavodă plant, which supplies approximately 20% of Romania's electricity, is not anticipated to resume operations for at least another 10 days.
The second of the plant's two 706-megawatt reactors was disconnected from the national grid on Thursday. The first reactor had previously been shut down in July. This marks only the second shutdown in the plant's history, with the previous one occurring in 2003.
Efforts to mitigate the situation earlier in the week included attempting to increase water flow to the plant, which relies on the Danube for cooling, by submerging barges filled with rocks. However, these measures have proven insufficient.
This drought-induced shutdown is occurring across Europe, with the Danube River reaching its lowest levels in three decades in several countries. Neighboring Hungary faces a similar challenge at its Paks nuclear plant, which also draws cooling water from the Danube. While the Hungarian facility has not yet been forced to shut down, officials there had warned of the possibility.
The power deficit created by the Cernavodă plant's closure is expected to be partially offset by solar and wind energy during daylight hours. However, traditional coal and gas-fired power plants will need to increase output, supplemented by electricity imports, particularly during evening peak demand.
Romania also possesses significant hydropower capacity, but these facilities have also experienced reduced output due to the low river levels affecting the nuclear plant.