Romania shuts only nuclear plant as heat causes huge drop in Danube River level

What the report says

Romania has shut down its only nuclear power station, Cernavodă, after prolonged hot weather drove Danube River levels too low to support reactor cooling. BBC World News reported that the plant, which supplies about 20% of Romania’s electricity, disconnected its second 706-megawatt reactor just before midday on Thursday. The first reactor had already been taken offline in July.

Plant officials said the river water had dropped so far that the intake equipment could not reach it. Authorities had earlier tried to improve the flow to the site by sinking barges filled with rocks in the river, but the plant is not expected to restart for at least 10 days. The shutdown is only the second in Cernavodă’s history, after a previous stoppage in 2003.

The loss of nuclear output is being partly covered by solar and wind generation during the day, while imports and more conventional fossil-fuel power may be needed in the evenings. Romania also relies on hydropower, but that has been weakened by the same low river levels. Neighbouring Hungary has so far avoided a similar shutdown at its Paks nuclear plant, which also uses Danube water for cooling.

The BBC linked the disruption to a wider pattern of extreme heat and drought affecting European rivers, infrastructure and agriculture. That broader climate context is relevant because the Danube and other waterways are increasingly strained during summer heatwaves, affecting power generation, shipping and water supplies.