Romania delays coal phase-out amid drought, energy crisis

Romania is preparing to announce a delay in phasing out its coal-fired power plants, citing the energy crisis exacerbated by prolonged drought and critically low water levels in the Danube River. This development highlights a significant challenge for Europe's energy transition: climate change itself is creating extreme weather events that limit power generation from other sources, forcing governments to temporarily revert to coal.

The Romanian parliament has approved a new law for decarbonizing the energy sector, including a last-minute amendment. This amendment stipulates that the gradual retirement of coal and lignite plants can only occur after new power generation units are constructed and operational. This condition fundamentally alters the timeline previously agreed upon with Brussels. Romania had committed to permanently retiring 710 megawatts of coal-fired power generation capacity by August 31, a deadline now unlikely to be met.

The energy strain intensified when Romania had to shut down one of the two reactors at its Cernavodă nuclear power plant. This facility, the country's only nuclear plant, normally supplies about 20% of the electricity consumed by its 19 million residents. Nuclear reactors require substantial amounts of water for safe cooling. The persistent drought and receding Danube levels have reduced water availability, necessitating the shutdown of one reactor.

Romanian military personnel are engaged in complex technical operations at the Cernavodă water intake area, attempting to raise the water level. The goal is to ensure the second reactor can remain operational and prevent further loss of generating capacity. This situation is not unique to Romania; the energy crisis is spreading across Southeast Europe. High temperatures are increasing electricity demand, while drought is curtailing hydroelectric power generation and limiting the cooling capacity of thermal and nuclear plants. Hungary is experiencing similar issues, forced to shut down reactors that also depend on Danube water for cooling.