Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant has taken its 1,000 MW unit 6 offline for annual maintenance until the end of November. The outage comes as low Danube levels continue to constrain the remaining reactor’s operating conditions. With unit 6 unavailable, Bulgaria is reliant on one nuclear reactor for generation.
Unit 6 was disconnected on 8 October. The maintenance period includes preventive inspections, maintenance of reactor systems and other equipment, and the loading of fresh nuclear fuel. Until the work is completed, the unit remains out of service.
Unit 5 output linked to river and cooling-water conditions
During the afternoon, unit 5 was operating at approximately 917 MW gross. Available output depends on river conditions and access to cooling water. Kozloduy has reduced production several times in recent months as falling Danube levels prompted precautionary restrictions at both reactors.
Maintenance timing overlaps with elevated regional power prices
The scheduled outage removes a major source of generation during a period of elevated regional electricity prices. Bulgaria’s day-ahead average for 9 October delivery reached €241.49/MWh, up €33.1/MWh from the previous day. The increase also reflected broader regional supply conditions.
For electricity buyers and traders, the immediate issue is the overlap between scheduled maintenance and continuing water constraints. Until unit 6 returns, any further reduction at unit 5 would add pressure on Bulgaria’s replacement supply requirements.
