Romania Begins Shutdown Of Second Nuclear Reactor Amid Severe Drought

Romania on Thursday began a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant as severe drought and record-low water levels on the Danube continue to disrupt operations across the region.

According to a report by AP, scorching temperatures and low rainfall in recent weeks have caused the Danube River to reach record lows, forcing the state-owned Cernavoda plant to shut down its first reactor in late July. The facility generates about 20% of Romania’s electricity when fully operational and relies on river water to cool its two reactors.

“The decision to carry out a controlled shutdown of Unit 2 was determined by the continued significant decrease in the level of the Danube River,” the plant operator Nuclearelectrica said in a statement Thursday addressed to the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

Romania’s Ministry of Energy said on Wednesday that the country’s electricity supply would be “fully covered by alternative sources and imports” following the shutdown of the second reactor.

The development follows weeks of efforts by Romanian authorities to prevent the shutdown of Cernavoda’s second reactor after acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared a nationwide state of alert in the energy sector on July 31 for August.

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Romania last week began sinking four barges loaded with rock near the Danube’s Bala Canal, which the military had blasted from the river using explosives. The barges were intended to form an underwater barrier and redirect water towards the river’s main channel and ultimately the Cernavoda plant.

However, the Danube’s water level continued to fall, eventually reaching levels too low to allow the Cernavoda reactor to remain operational.

“Maintaining both units in a safe shutdown state has no impact on nuclear safety parameters, including personnel, the environment and the population,” Nuclearelectrica added.

The situation in Romania comes as authorities in neighbouring Hungary prepare measures to raise the level of the Danube this week to ensure its only nuclear power plant, Paks, can continue operating.

The Paks facility is facing the possibility of shutting down for the first time in its 44-year history as low water levels threaten its cooling capacity.