Romania shut down the second and final reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant on Thursday after drought drove the Danube river to record-low water levels, removing 1,412 megawatts of nuclear capacity and forcing the government to declare a state of energy emergency for all of August.
Both Reactors Offline
State-owned Nuclearelectrica said it took Unit 2 offline “due to the significant and ongoing drop” in the river’s water level and did not foresee a restart within the next 10 days. The company’s two 706-megawatt reactors normally account for roughly 20% of Romania’s power output.
Unit 1 had already been shut down on July 28 as Danube flow rates fell to 1,650 cubic metres per second at Romania’s entry point, compared with a July average of around 4,750. Forecasts projected flows could drop to 1,500 cubic metres per second, approaching the all-time low of 1,400 recorded in 1985.
Regional Impact
The shutdown poses immediate problems for neighbouring Moldova, which relies on Romanian power to cover up to 60% of its own electricity shortages. With Romanian imports now unavailable, Moldova faces the prospect of purchasing more expensive power from western countries or imposing rolling blackouts.
I think we should be ready for a worsening situation, including power outages, although it’s hard to say for sure right now.
Romania’s energy ministry said it had activated a 330-megawatt lignite-fired power plant and was relying on increased wind generation and reservoir-stored hydro power to cover the shortfall. Large industrial users face potential restrictions during evening peak hours as a last resort. In early August, the government ordered carmakers Dacia and Ford to pause production in the country until August 19 to help ease the power deficit.
European Nuclear Under Pressure
The drought has struck nuclear power across the continent. France’s EDF reported a 20% shortfall in atomic production capacity this week, with 13 of its 57 reactors affected by drought, extreme heat, and jellyfish invasions blocking cooling water intakes, according to Agence France-Presse.
Hungary has avoided a complete shutdown of its Paks nuclear plant, also cooled by the Danube, but the government ordered the construction of a submerged weir and stationed two 80-metre barges to be sunk if necessary to raise water levels. Prime Minister Peter Magyar warned that the plant, which provides about a third of Hungary’s electricity, has been partially shut down since late July and river levels could remain low for weeks.
The drought across Europe has been exacerbated by human-induced climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution group, which warns the problem will worsen. Nearly two-thirds of the Danube has seen flow rates drop to the lowest on record for a July in 34 years, according to analysis from the European climate observatory Copernicus.
Sources: The Guardian; Irish Examiner; Reuters
discussion