Romania shuts only nuclear plant as heat causes huge drop in Danube River level

Romania has temporarily shut down its sole nuclear power plant, Cernavodă, due to critically low water levels in the Danube River, exacerbated by intense heatwaves affecting much of Europe. The Cernavodă facility, which contributes roughly 20% of Romania's electricity, relies on the Danube for cooling, and its reactors are not expected to resume operations within the next 10 days.

Efforts to boost water flow by sinking rock-filled barges into the river have proven ineffective. Neighboring Hungary has thus far avoided any nuclear shutdowns in its only plant, Paks, which also draws power from the Danube. The Danube's water levels have dropped to their lowest in 30 years, affecting several countries. The Cernavodă plant's first reactor was already offline since July.

With the nuclear plant's reduced output, Romania will need to rely on alternative energy sources, such as coal, gas, and imports, to meet evening electricity demands. While Romania possesses substantial hydropower potential, low river levels have severely curtailed this source as well. The European heatwave, driven by climate change, is particularly severe in Europe, where temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average.

This escalation in temperatures is causing widespread damage, including extreme wildfires in Greece and France, and significant economic losses, with some projections suggesting direct and indirect costs could reach €10bn to €15bn in France alone.