Covered 20% of demand

Dry Danube: EU Member State Shuts Down Nuclear Power Plant Completely!

The Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania is being shut down completely because the Danube carries far too little water to ensure adequate cooling.(Bild: Krone-Collage/AFP/DANIEL MIHAILESCU)

Due to the prolonged drought, the Danube is carrying extremely low water levels. This is now forcing EU member Romania to take drastic measures: The country’s only nuclear power plant, which normally covers one-fifth of its electricity demand, is being completely shut down.

As early as the end of July, the first reactor unit at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant was shut down due to a lack of cooling water. To keep the second reactor running, Romania had resorted to unusual measures. In early August, an attempt was made to divert more water to the power plant by blasting a rock formation in the Danube.

The Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant in Romania is being completely shut down because the Danube has far too little water to ensure adequate cooling.(Bild: Krone-Collage/AFP/DANIEL MIHAILESCU)

At a fork in two branches of the Danube, 50 kilometers upstream near the town of Izvoarele, the army had detonated the rock so that more water would flow into the branch of the Danube that supplies Cernavoda.

Delayed by a few days
In addition, rubble in four barges was then sunk at another point along the bank to better control the water flow. Afterward, the water level at Cernavoda rose slightly, allowing the operation of the second reactor to be extended by a few days.

Goat herders in Romania walk along the Danube’s riverbed.(Bild: AFP/DANIEL MIHAILESCU)

Birds can walk along the dried-up riverbed in Romania.(Bild: AFP/DANIEL MIHAILESCU)

Serbia is also experiencing extreme drought...(Bild: AFP/ANDREJ ISAKOVIC)

Similar to what happened in Austria, sunken ships resurfaced(Bild: AFP/ANDREJ ISAKOVIC)

However, this operation was not sufficient to ensure the long-term supply of the power plant, which draws all of its cooling water from the river. The second reactor has now been shut down, according to the Romanian Ministry of Energy. The complete shutdown is thus complete.

Government: No Consequences for the Population
The nuclear power plant, located on a branch of the Danube in the eastern part of the country, normally produces 10 million megawatt-hours of electricity per year—that is 20 percent of Romania’s electricity needs. However, the government assures the public that the shutdown will have no consequences for the population.

In the worst-case scenario, the electricity supply to large industrial consumers will be restricted, said Cristian Busoi, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy. This is permitted under a government regulation that was recently enacted. According to media reports, Romania is also negotiating with its neighbors Ukraine and Bulgaria regarding additional electricity imports. Ukraine has already been supplying electricity since the first Cernavoda reactor was shut down.

Lucky Austria
The drought is also causing problems for Austria’s hydroelectric power plants. Due to low water levels, some turbines have had to be shut down, resulting in reduced electricity production. However, output has fallen by only one-third. The reason for this is geography: In Austria, the Danube has a drop of 170 meters over just 290 kilometers. This head is what makes hydroelectric power plants possible in the first place. East of Bratislava toward the Black Sea, the river flows much more gently.

The countries downstream along the Danube are now struggling with this topography. In addition to Romania, the situation in Hungary is also dire. There, plans are now underway to artificially raise the water level of the Danube to supply the Paks nuclear power plant with sufficient cooling water.