Romania is undertaking an emergency measure to keep its Cernavoda nuclear power plant operational by sinking four barges laden with rock into the Danube River. This effort aims to redirect water downstream to the plant, which relies on the river for cooling its reactors.
The Danube has reached record low levels in recent weeks due to extreme heatwaves and a lack of rainfall across the region. Last week, a reactor at the Cernavoda plant, which supplies approximately 20% of Romania's electricity when fully operational, was forced offline because of insufficient cooling water. The current low flow rate is around 1,400 cubic meters per second, less than a third of the typical volume for this time of year.
Military engineers have been blasting rock from the riverbed near the Bala Canal to load the barges. Once submerged, these barges will form an underwater barrier, forcing more water into the main channel leading to the Cernavoda plant, which is located about 37 miles downstream. The impact of the sunken barges is expected to take about a day to reach the plant.
Plant director Romeo Urjan stated that the water level dropped two centimeters between Wednesday and Thursday. Without the intervention, the plant's second reactor was projected to shut down within five to six days. With the barges submerged, he estimated that the reactor could continue operating for an additional four to five days, extending its operational time to nine or ten days from Thursday.
Authorities have implemented other emergency measures, including dredging the river. On July 31, Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared a nationwide state of alert in the energy sector. He has appealed to the public and local authorities to voluntarily reduce electricity consumption during peak evening hours.
Romania could face energy shortages if the Cernavoda plant is completely taken offline. The country may need to import electricity from neighboring nations, many of which are experiencing similar drought-related challenges impacting their own power generation. Neighboring Hungary's sole nuclear power plant is also nearing a shutdown due to low Danube levels, and Moldova has urged its citizens to conserve electricity.