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Romania May Shut Down Last Nuclear Reactor as Danube River Hits Record Low
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Energy & Infrastructure

Romania May Shut Down Last Nuclear Reactor as Danube River Hits Record Low

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Romania may shut down its last operating nuclear reactor on August 13 due to critically low water levels in the Danube River.
  • The reactor, which provides a fifth of the country's electricity, requires Danube water for cooling.
  • The country has taken unprecedented measures, including riverbed dredging and sinking barges, to maintain cooling water flow.

Romania faces a potential energy crisis as its sole remaining operational nuclear reactor may be shut down on August 13. The reason: critically low water levels in the Danube River, which is essential for cooling the Cernavodฤƒ Nuclear Power Plant. The plant's two reactors normally supply about one-fifth of Romania's electricity.

The possibility of a controlled shutdown (of the second reactor) is based on weather forecasts for the upcoming period, Danube water levels, and operating parameters.

โ€” NuclearelectricaExplaining the factors influencing the decision to potentially shut down the nuclear reactor.

Nuclearelectrica, the state-owned energy company, announced that the shutdown is a possibility based on weather forecasts, Danube water levels, and operational parameters. This follows the earlier shutdown of one of the two reactors in late July due to similar concerns. The company has undertaken extraordinary measures to keep the second reactor running. These include blasting rocks in a Danube tributary, dredging the riverbed, and sinking stone-laden barges to redirect water flow towards the plant.

The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, recorded a new historic low of 1,370 cubic meters per second where it enters Romania, according to the national water management agency. The agency director stated that the shutdown is "inevitable." Romania has already declared a state of energy emergency for August, urging businesses and households to voluntarily reduce water consumption during evening hours.

The discharge of the Danube, Europe's second-longest river, fell to a new record low of 1,370 cubic meters per second on Tuesday where it enters Romania.

โ€” National Water Management AgencyReporting the critical water level of the Danube River.

Neighboring Hungary has managed to restart one of its Paks nuclear plant turbines following a rise in Danube levels. However, upstream rainfall has not significantly improved conditions for Romania, the last country the Danube flows through before reaching the Black Sea. Europe is grappling with record heatwaves and devastating wildfires this summer, impacting electricity production, shipping, and public health systems.

The shutdown is inevitable.

โ€” Director of the National Water Management AgencyAssessing the certainty of the reactor shutdown due to water scarcity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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