Romania halts sole nuclear plant as Danube drops to record lows
Why it matters: Cernavoda supplies about 20% of Romania’s power, forcing heavier imports and raising the risk of curbs on big industrial users.
Romania shut down Cernavoda, its only nuclear power plant, after drought and extreme heat pushed the Danube to unusually low levels and cut the water needed to cool the station’s two reactors. The second reactor was taken offline on Aug. 13 after the first had already been shut in July. Plant director Romeo Urjan said a restart was not expected within 10 days. Cernavoda normally provides about one-fifth of Romania’s electricity. Authorities said imports, wind generation and hydropower reserves would help cover the gap, while also urging consumers to limit use. The government had tried to preserve cooling flow by altering the river channel with rock-filled barges and other works.