Romania is preparing emergency water-management steps to restore cooling conditions at NPP Cernavoda, where exceptionally low Danube levels have left both reactors unavailable. The measures include dredging, reservoir releases and other temporary interventions.
According to the report, the plant has been offline since 13 August. The outage followed a drop in water levels that became insufficient for the site’s cooling requirements.
Emergency works on the Old Danube and intake dredging
One option under consideration is an aqueduct on the Old Danube. It is intended to redirect additional water toward the Danube-Black Sea Canal and the area supplying Cernavoda. Emergency dredging around the intake is also planned.
National Committee approval and military support for surveys
The National Committee for Emergency Situations has approved a broader intervention involving several state institutions and the military. Defence Ministry specialists are expected to carry out geodetic and topobathymetric surveys as part of the operation. Military divers would support underwater work.
Upstream reservoir releases and canal storage as reserves
Authorities are also seeking to increase river flows from upstream reservoirs. Starting on 22 August, Hidroelectrica began releasing an additional average 50 cubic metres per second from reservoirs on the Olt River for five days. The released water continues through hydropower plants downstream, allowing electricity production to continue during the release.
Water stored in the Danube-Black Sea Canal is being held as another reserve. High-capacity pumps are being prepared as an additional emergency option.
Coal unit returns to offset lost nuclear output
Romania has returned two coal-fired generating units to service to compensate partially for lost nuclear output. The adjustments are linked to the Cernavoda shutdown caused by low river conditions affecting cooling availability.
The episode highlights how hydrological conditions can affect multiple parts of the power system at the same time. Low water can restrict nuclear cooling, influence hydro management, and require thermal generation to return to service. Cernavoda’s outage is therefore described as a test of electricity system capacity under prolonged hydrological stress.
