Romania Implements Emergency Measures to Restart Cernavoda Nuclear Plant Amid Severe Drought

The Romanian government has ordered emergency interventions to increase water levels in the Danube River to allow for the restart of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The country's only nuclear facility had both of its reactors shut down due to extreme low water levels, with the first reactor stopping on July 28 and the second on August 13. Both reactors are currently in a safe shutdown state.

To restore the necessary water supply, the disaster management committee decided to build a temporary dam on the Ostrovi branch of the Old Danube. This measure aims to divert more water toward the Danube Black Sea Canal and the power plant's water intake. The operation involves the military, including divers and specialists measuring riverbed conditions. Additionally, the state company Hidroelectrica will release water from reservoirs on the Olt River for five days at an average rate of 50 cubic meters per second. Other measures include dredging the riverbed and preparing high capacity pumps.

The Cernavoda plant consists of two reactors with a combined capacity of over 1,400 megawatts, which normally cover about one fifth of Romania's electricity consumption. The shutdown is particularly impactful because the same drought has reduced hydroelectric power production, forcing the country to rely more on gas, coal, and imports. In mid August, the Danube's flow rate at the Romanian border was measured at 1,350 cubic meters per second, significantly lower than the long term August average of 3,900 cubic meters per second.

Similar struggles have been reported in Hungary at the Paks nuclear power plant. Hungarian authorities have used sunken barges and a bottom sill to raise water levels by 15 centimeters. While only two of eight turbines were operating as of Wednesday, the Hungarian government expects to begin restarting others as water levels rise.