Romania shuts only nuclear plant as drought drains Danube

Romania's sole nuclear power plant has been completely shut down after efforts to maintain cooling water levels in the drought-stricken Danube River failed, removing a significant source of electricity from the grid as Europe grapples with extreme heat and water shortages. The state-owned energy company Nuclearelectrica announced on Thursday, August 13, that it had disconnected the second reactor at the Cernavodă plant from the power network, following the shutdown of the first unit in late July.

The plant director, Romeo Urjan, told the AFP news agency that there was no expectation for a restart within the next ten days. The facility, located east of Bucharest near the Black Sea, normally generates about 20% of Romania's electricity. The shutdown marks the first time since a drought in 2003 that the entire 1,400-megawatt plant has been halted. The Danube River, whose waters are essential for cooling the reactors, has fallen to record-low levels due to a severe, persistent drought gripping much of the continent.

Romanian authorities had undertaken extraordinary measures to prevent a total shutdown. They invested more than two million euros in efforts to divert the river's flow,...