Romania risks energy price hikes after Cernavodă Reactor 2 shutdown

Romania's energy security could be jeopardized by the potential shutdown of Reactor 2 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. This 700 MW facility provides a crucial, weather-independent source of continuous power, and its absence would necessitate significant adjustments to the national energy mix.

Energy experts warn that without adequate compensation through imports and renewable energy sources, the country could experience substantial price increases. Dumitru Chisăliță, president of the Intelligent Energy Association, estimates that the day-ahead market price could range from 850 to 1,800 lei per megawatt-hour, with extreme scenarios potentially pushing prices above 5,000 lei/MWh. For household consumers, offers for the 2026-2027 period could rise to 1.40-1.62 lei/kWh, including VAT.

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The price on the day-ahead market could reach 850-1,800 lei/MWh, and in extreme scenarios could exceed 5,000 lei/MWh.

The price impact is expected to be most pronounced during evening hours, particularly between 7 PM and 11 PM, when solar power generation ceases while demand remains high. Even during the day, while solar production might temper price increases, the lack of continuous nuclear output at night would maintain pressure on the system. The severity of the price hikes will depend heavily on the volume of available imports and the overall domestic energy production capacity.

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For household consumers, offers for the period September 2026-September 2027 could reach 1.40-1.62 lei/kWh, including VAT.