The Bulgarian nuclear power plant Kozloduy has confirmed that the recent drop in the Danube River’s water level has not affected its operations or electricity production. On July 4, 2025, water depth at the plant’s intake measured 21.50 meters, which remains 0.53 meters above the record low observed at the end of summer in 2003. For comparison, the river reached its highest recorded level of 30.20 meters at this site on April 23, 2006.
Kozloduy’s design ensures a stable water supply even during periods of low river levels. The plant is equipped with an on-site pumping station containing 34 powerful pumps, engineered based on over a century of Danube hydrological data. This system draws cooling water from the river to condense steam in the turbines of the plant’s conventional (non-nuclear) power unit, maintaining consistent electricity generation.
In contrast, Switzerland’s Beznau nuclear power plant recently shut down both of its reactors due to elevated river temperatures. The operator, Axpo, stopped operations at the first unit on July 1, followed shortly by the second, citing safety concerns related to the aging facility’s water-intake infrastructure. Similar heat-related restrictions are expected to affect nuclear power plants along France’s Rhone River in the coming days.
