Romania shuts only nuclear plant as Danube drops

Romania halted operations at its only nuclear power plant on Thursday after low Danube water levels left the river unable to provide enough cooling water.

The Cernavoda plant, which usually generates about a fifth of Romania's electricity, has two 700-megawatt reactors. National nuclear company Nuclearelectrica had already shut one reactor last month and said Thursday it also had to shut the second “due to the significant and ongoing drop in the water level of the River Danube”.

“We do not foresee a restart within the next ten days,” plant director Romeo Urjan told AFP.

Romania had tried to avoid a full shutdown by diverting the Danube's flow, including by blowing up a rock and sinking four barges filled with rocks into the river. The work was budgeted at more than two million euros.

The energy ministry said Wednesday that alternative power sources, including wind generation and electricity imports, were expected to ensure adequate supplies. It also appealed for “responsible consumption” and has warned that large industrial consumers could face evening restrictions as a last resort.

The government said in early August that carmakers Dacia and Ford would pause production in the country until August 19 to help with the power deficit.

Cernavoda had been shut down only once before because of drought, in 2003.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube recorded July flow rates that were the lowest in 34 years of measurements, according to an analysis published Monday by the European climate change observatory Copernicus. World Weather Attribution scientists said the current drought has been worsened by human-induced climate change and warned that the problem is set to worsen.

Neighbouring Hungary has so far avoided a full shutdown of its Paks nuclear plant, whose four reactors are also cooled by the Danube. Paks has been partially shut since late last month.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said Wednesday the government had ordered construction of a submerged wall, or weir, to try to control flows near the plant. Two 80-metre barges are also being stationed at Paks and could be sunk to raise the water level.

Low Danube levels have also severely affected shipping along the 2,850-kilometre river, which runs from western Germany to the Black Sea.