Cooling-water conditions improved after Danube engineering works
Emergency engineering works on the Danube have improved cooling-water conditions at Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear power plant, providing additional time for its remaining operating reactor before a possible precautionary shutdown. The improvement follows controlled demolition activity by the Romanian Naval Forces.
On 3 August, the Romanian Naval Forces carried out the controlled demolition of a rock formation to remove an obstruction restricting river flow towards the plant’s intake. The intervention raised the water level at the cooling-water inlet by approximately two centimetres and stopped a recent decline.
Unit 2 expected to stay online; further intake measures planned
Plant operator Nuclearelectrica expects Unit 2 to remain online for at least another week. Earlier projections had indicated that cooling-water limitations could force the reactor to stop within five days.
Authorities are preparing another intervention intended to preserve sufficient depth at the intake. Under the plan, vessels carrying stone would be sunk in one branch of the Danube to redirect more water towards the channel supplying the plant, without altering the nuclear installation itself.
Power balance supported by imports and exports amid low Danube levels
Keeping 680MW Unit 2 running is described as critical for Romania’s electricity balance. Evening demand has recently reached approximately 7,000–7,500MW, while imports covered close to one-third of national consumption during the tightest hours.
Romania has also continued supplying neighbouring Moldova, with exports reaching approximately 500MW during the latest evening peak. The combination of high domestic imports and continued exports reflects an interconnected emergency response across systems with limited supply options.
Temporary nature of relief and framework for demand restrictions
The cooling-water improvement is temporary because Danube levels remain exceptionally low. Nuclearelectrica has warned that Unit 2 will be shut down if cooling-water conditions move outside prescribed operating limits.
The government is preparing a framework for temporary demand restrictions on large industrial consumers. Companies would receive 24 hours’ notice, with permitted consumption set by the National Energy Dispatcher based on available generation and individual production processes, while mandatory restrictions would apply only after voluntary reductions proved insufficient.
