Bulgaria to cut nuclear output as Danube runs low

Bulgaria will reduce nuclear power output at the Kozloduy plant on Friday because of very low water levels in the Danube river, the energy ministry said.

The state-owned plant will cut the capacity of one of its two operating reactors by around 120 megawatts after what the ministry called an “unprecedented and critical” drop in the river. Kozloduy relies on Danube water for cooling and supplies more than a third of Bulgaria's electricity.

The ministry said the reduction is meant to ensure safe operation of the plant, and that forecasts upstream of Bulgaria continue to show river levels falling. It said this will be the first time Kozloduy has reduced power because of extreme weather and hydrological conditions since it began operating 52 years ago.

Kozloduy's two operating reactors each have a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. The plant has its own pumping station on the Danube, which the ministry said had so far protected it from having to reduce output.

Romania and Hungary have also recently reduced nuclear output because of low Danube levels. Romania completely shut down the Cernavoda plant on August 13, while Hungary has reduced output at its Paks plant since late July and has been working to avoid a full shutdown.

Elsewhere in Europe, Switzerland's Beznau nuclear plant was shut down in June because of high river temperatures, and France has reduced output at several reactors during the heatwave. Experts cited by AFP say Europe's drought has been exacerbated by human-induced climate change and warn that the problem will worsen.