{
  "id": 749414,
  "title": "Dürre: Niedrige Donau: Rumänien schaltet AKW Cernavoda komplett ab",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/durre-niedrige-donau-rumanien-schaltet-akw-cernavoda-komplett-ab",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-13T08:36:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/duerre-niedrige-donau-rumaenien-schaltet-akw-cernavoda-komplett-ab/100246993.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Low water levels on the Danube have led Romania to completely shut down its sole nuclear power plant, Cernavoda, according to the Energy Ministry. The news agency Mediafax reported that the second reactor was also taken offline after the first one was shut down in late July due to insufficient cooling water. Full shutdown is expected to begin around 10:00 AM CET, with the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, located in the east of the country on a Danube tributary, normally producing 20% of Romania's electricity demand. It relies entirely on river water for cooling. In the worst case, power supply for large consumers in the industry may be limited, stated Cristian Busoi, State Secretary at the Energy Ministry, as per Mediafax. This measure complies with a recently issued government decree and will not affect the population. Romania is reportedly negotiating with neighboring Ukraine and Bulgaria about power imports. Attempts to divert Danube water by blasting a rock in the river to increase flow to Cernavoda only ten days ago were unsuccessful. The army detonated a rock at a confluence of two Danube arms, 50 kilometers upstream near the town of Izvoarele, causing more water to flow into the Danube arm serving Cernavoda. Concrete blocks were also sunk at another location on the riverbank to better control the water flow. While this increased the water level at Cernavoda slightly, it was not enough to extend the operation of the second reactor for several days. The Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which generates about 10 million megawatt-hours of electricity per year, was commissioned with a Canadian CANDU reactor type in 1996 and a second reactor in 2007.",
  "summary": "Der Sprengung eines Felsens sollte das einzige Atomkraftwerk Rumäniens retten – es reichte nicht. Jetzt wird es wegen des Niedrigwassers ganz heruntergefahren. Was das für das Land bedeutet.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Niedrigwasser: Rumänien schaltet AKW Cernavoda komplett ab",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/niedrigwasser-rumanien-schaltet-akw-cernavoda-komplett-ab",
        "published": "2026-08-13T08:18:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}