Romania to Shut Down Cernavodă’s Second Reactor Due to Low Danube Water Levels

The Romanian Government has announced that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant will be safely shut down from tomorrow due to unfavorable hydrological conditions. The situation will be continuously monitored, while current forecasts indicate that hydrological conditions could improve over the weekend.

As a reminder, Unit 1 of Cernavodă was shut down at the end of July due to low water levels in the Danube, while efforts were focused on ensuring the safe operation of Unit 2. However, as unfavorable hydrological conditions persist, the second unit will now also be shut down.

According to estimates, Romania’s electricity supply will be fully secured through other sources and imports. Over the next seven days, average wind power generation is expected to reach around 525 MW, with maximum forecast output of 1,560 MW.

Additional capacity will be provided by Unit 4 of the Rovinari power plant, operated by Complexul Energetic Oltenia, with an installed capacity of 330 MW, which is currently in reserve. At least 300 MW will also be available from Hidroelectrica, within the limits of technical capabilities and available water resources.

Romania’s power system also has cross-border capacity of around 4,000 MW, allowing for additional electricity imports if needed. The system operator will activate available capacities depending on developments in generation, consumption and hydrological conditions.

The Ministry of Energy has once again called on citizens to use electricity responsibly, particularly between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., in order to reduce pressure on the system during peak demand.

Energy Portal