Romanian authorities are racing to restart the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant after emergency measures failed to restore the Danube River critical water flow needed to cool the facility reactors.
The Ministry of Energy and state utility Hidroelectrica have begun releasing large volumes of water from reservoirs along the Olt River tributary in a bid to raise levels at Cernavoda intake basin. Dredging operations are also underway along the Danube channel, the National Committee for Emergency Situations confirmed on August 23.
Danube Flow at One-Third Normal
At Baziass, the river entry point into Romania from Serbia, the Danube is flowing at just 1,300 cubic meters per second, compared with the seasonal average of 3,900. That represents a deficit of roughly 2,600 cubic meters per second at a time when European drought conditions show no sign of easing.
Both of Cernavoda Canadian CANDU reactors were shut down in late July as water levels plunged. Unit 1 was taken offline on July 27, followed by Unit 2 on July 30, marking the first time both units were simultaneously offline due to drought. A brief attempt to bring Unit 2 back online on August 13 lasted less than a day before declining river levels forced another shutdown.
20 Percent of Romania Power Gone Offline
The plant normally supplies roughly 20 percent of Romania electricity. With both reactors offline, the country has been importing power daily at elevated prices, according to Romanian energy officials. Transelectrica, the grid operator, has warned that further restrictions on remaining generation capacity may be necessary if hydrological conditions do not improve.
Cernavoda does have backup deep wells that can provide minimal cooling water, but operating the reactors at anything above reduced capacity requires the high flow rates that only the Danube can deliver. The plant intake basin levels have fallen to critically low points not seen since the severe drought of 1985, when the all-time low of 1,400 cubic meters per second was recorded.
The Danube water level at our intake point is three times lower than the normal average for this period, Romanian energy officials stated on August 23.
The crisis extends beyond Romania. Hungary Paks Nuclear Power Plant, the country largest electricity producer, has also been forced to reduce output due to the same drought-stricken Danube conditions. If the river continues to fall, additional restrictions at Paks could follow.
EU Fuel Prices Hit Hardest in Romania
The nuclear shutdown compounds an already painful energy picture for Romanian consumers. Eurostat data released this week shows Romania recorded the highest fuel price increase in the European Union over the past 12 months, with gasoline and diesel prices surging 24 percent year-over-year. Germany, Lithuania, and Bulgaria followed at roughly 22 percent, while Sweden saw just 1.2 percent.
Meanwhile, emergency water releases from the Olt River system face their own constraints. Upstream demand for irrigation and municipal supply means that reservoir releases cannot be sustained indefinitely, raising questions about how long the emergency measures can prop up Danube levels near Cernavoda.
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