Former Minister: Those Who Shelved Bala Arm Project Must Answer

Former Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan has called for accountability from those responsible for shelving a project to raise the water level at the Bala arm of the Danube River. Ivan stated that if the project was indeed initiated but not implemented, the individuals who kept it "in a drawer" should be held responsible.

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In the current situation, if that project exists and it has not been operationalized, it is normal for whoever kept it in a drawer to be held accountable. I don't know exactly what stage it is in.

Speaking on Digi 24, Ivan expressed uncertainty about the project's current status but emphasized the principle of accountability. He also revealed that during his tenure as minister, he negotiated a $3 billion loan from the World Bank for the modernization of Unit 1 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. This initiative includes significant upgrades to the hydrological system to ensure its sustainability for the next 30 years, regardless of future Danube flow rates.

The modernization efforts aim to create a storage zone with new cooling basins, providing a buffer capacity. This is crucial for maintaining the plant's operation, especially considering potential fluctuations in the Danube's water levels. Ivan noted that pre-financing agreements for reactors 3 and 4 also incorporate measures to ensure 30-year sustainability, including securing sufficient water for cooling.

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Those works would have included – and they are ongoing, meaning the official announcement was made, the World Bank is also to sign the financial agreement with Romania this summer, by October at the latest – including the intake structures, everything concerning the cooling system for the reactors at Cernavodă. The entire hydrological system to be made in such a way that it is sustainable for another 30 years from now, regardless of how the Danube flows will look, with a storage area by creating new cooling basins, to have a buffer period in such a situation.

This statement comes in the context of recent efforts to manage the water levels affecting the Cernavodă plant. State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Irinel Ionel Scrioșteanu, announced that interventions in the Bala area had successfully reversed the declining water trend, leading to a slight increase. He described the operation as one of the most difficult missions of his tenure, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Danube currents and the risk of barges being dislodged, which could disrupt the water redirection. Despite the positive outcome, Scrioșteanu cautioned that the danger has not entirely passed.

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Won battle, good result, but the danger has not passed. I am very glad that our efforts in the last week for the intervention in the Bala area have yielded good results and reactor 2 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant remains in operation. We have actually managed to reverse the downward trend with a slight increase. According to estimates, the 8 cm 'gained' means we have managed to redirect approximately 50 cubic meters of water per second towards Cernavodă.