Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down Due to Falling Danube River Levels

Romania's Ministry of Energy announced on the 12th local time that, due to current hydrological conditions, Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant will undergo a controlled shutdown starting on the 13th. Cernavoda is Romania's only nuclear power plant, and this shutdown will mark the first time the plant has been completely taken offline since 2003.

The Cernavoda plant has two units, with Unit 1 already shut down at the end of last month. The plant accounts for approximately one-fifth of Romania's electricity generation.

Romanian authorities had previously taken engineering measures to delay the shutdown of Unit 2, including dredging relevant sections of the Danube River, blasting and removing underwater rock obstacles, clearing the riverbed, and sinking barges loaded with crushed stone into the river channel to adjust water flow conditions. These operations involved an investment of over 2 million euros.

Romania's Ministry of Energy called on users to consume electricity responsibly and stated that the power gap is expected to be covered by alternative sources such as wind power and electricity imports.

This year, many parts of Europe have experienced record-high temperatures and insufficient rainfall, leading to a significant drop in Danube River water levels. The Cernavoda plant relies on Danube water for cooling, and changes in hydrological conditions directly affect unit operations.