Romania rushes to sink 4 barges in the Danube to keep a nuclear power plant’s second reactor running

Romania is swiftly sinking four barges filled with rocks into the Danube River in an effort to redirect water flow towards a nuclear power plant, aiming to prolong the operation of its second reactor. This urgent action comes as exceptionally low water levels on the Danube River have forced the shutdown of one reactor at Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear plant last week.

The Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which contributes approximately 20% of the country’s electricity generation when fully operational, relies on river water for cooling its reactors. The four barges were strategically loaded with rock blasted by Romania's military using explosives near the Danube’s Bala Canal. Once submerged, these barges will form an underwater barrier, rerouting water along the river’s main channel and towards the Cernavoda plant.

The plant’s director, Romeo Urjan, reported a decrease of about two centimeters (0.7 inches) in the Danube water level from Wednesday to Thursday. Without the deployment of these barges, the second reactor might have to be shut down within five to six days. However, with the barges in place, the plant can potentially function for an additional nine to ten days.

The impact of the submerged barges is projected to reach the Cernavoda plant within a day, given its location around 60 kilometers (37 miles) downstream.