Romania to fully shut down its only nuclear power plant due to Danube shallowing

In Romania, on the morning of August 13, a controlled shutdown procedure for the second unit of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant began. The reason was a prolonged and significant drop in the water level of the Danube.

The start of the shutdown was announced by the state company Nuclearelectrica in a report published on the website of the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

The first unit of the plant was already shut down and disconnected from the power grid on July 28, also due to the low level of the Danube. After the second unit is turned off, Romania will temporarily be left without nuclear generation.

How Romania tried to avoid a full shutdown of the NPP

The threat of a full shutdown of Cernavoda arose in late July, when drought and prolonged heat brought the Danube level close to the minimum allowable for the operation of the plant's cooling systems. The first unit was shut down on July 28, while the second was attempted to be kept running through emergency engineering measures.

Romanian authorities called in the military, who blasted a rock. The obstacle affected the distribution of water between the branch and the old Danube channel, through which water flows toward the NPP.

After that, four barges loaded with stones were deliberately sunk in the Bala branch. They were supposed to form artificial underwater rapids, redirect some of the water to the old channel, and raise the Danube level near Cernavoda by about 10-12 centimeters.

According to HotNews, the blasting of the rock initially stopped the daily drop in water level and ensured a slight rise. At the same time, dredging works were carried out to increase the water inflow to the plant.

These measures extended the operation of the second unit for several more days, but could not compensate for the further shallowing of the Danube. Due to the continuing drop in water level, Nuclearelectrica eventually began a controlled shutdown.

Each of the two units at Cernavoda has a capacity of about 700 MW. In normal operation, the plant provides about one-fifth of the country's electricity production.

Nuclearelectrica emphasized that the controlled shutdown is being carried out in accordance with established procedures and with continuous monitoring of equipment and safety reserves. Keeping both units in a safe shutdown state does not pose a threat to personnel, the public, or the environment.

The decision to reconnect the units will be made based on the evolution of the Danube level and forecasts from the Romanian hydrological institute. The operator has not yet named specific dates for the resumption of generation.

As reported by HotNews, Romania's Ministry of Energy plans to compensate for the deficit using wind, hydro, and coal power plants, as well as electricity imports. The country's cross-border transmission capacity is about 4000 MW.

The authorities urged the population and businesses to consume electricity responsibly, especially during evening peak load hours.

Sources: Nuclearelectrica, HotNews, Profit.ro