Cernavodă nuclear reactor Unit 2 to be shut down Thursday due to low Danube levels

Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant will undergo a controlled shutdown on Thursday morning, August 13, starting at 7 a.m., announced CNE Director Romeo Urjan.

The decision stems from the critically low water levels in the Danube River, which no longer permit normal operational conditions. Urjan stated that the shutdown procedure would last several hours, with the unit expected to reach zero power and disconnect from the National Energy System around noon. This measure follows the shutdown of Unit 1 at the end of July, which reduced domestic energy production by 10% amid high demand due to a heatwave.

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Our decision to stop, on Thursday, August 13, at 7 a.m., in a controlled manner, is linked to the level in the Danube and the forecast of its decrease, which no longer allows us to operate under normal conditions.

The Ministry of Energy confirmed that Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant initiated the technical procedures for the controlled shutdown of Unit 2 due to the very low flow of the Danube River, describing the procedures as usual. The ministry assured that measures are being taken to ensure domestic energy supply. These include utilizing regional and European energy system imports and activating additional national production resources.

Specifically, the Rovinari 4 power group from Complexul Energetic Oltenia will be brought out of reserve and made available to the National Energy System. Additionally, Hydroelectrica's supplementary production capacity will be utilized within technical and available water resource limits. Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant currently provides approximately 20% of Romania's total electricity production.

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Around noon, we will be at zero power and disconnected from the National Energy System.