Romania blows up rocks in drought-stricken Danube to divert water to struggling nuclear reactor

The river has hit a record low in places amid prolonged drought

Explosives used to move a large rock and let more water flow to cool nuclear power plant More must be done ⁠to strengthen the European Union’s borders at critical points, ⁠European Commission president ⁠Ursula ​von der Leyen told Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez ⁠in a letter. In the carefully-calibrated letter, fir

Romania blasts rocks to reroute cooling Danube water to nuclear reactor  Reuters

It comes amid soaring temperatures across Europe, as the continent grapples with yet another heatwave.

Europe’s brutal heatwave has already sparked record-breaking temperatures, deadly wildfires and mass evacuations. Now a new crisis looms: an energy shortage

BUDAPEST/BUCHAREST, Aug 3 - Romania blew up a rock outcrop on Monday to help redirect vital cooling water from the drought-hit Danube to its last working nuclear reactor, as neighbouring Hungary said it might be able to eke out two more days of power from its only atomic plant.

Hungary’s only nuclear plant on brink of shutdown as Europe heatwave threatens energy crisis  CNN

03 August 2026 Iași, a city in northeastern Romania, has decided to reduce its public street lighting following the nationwide state of alert declared in Romania's energy sector on July 31 The street lighting is switched off after 24:00 in the city, except on hospital grounds, underpasses, and busy central areas such a

Record low Danube levels push some countries in Eastern Europe to the brink of energy emergency  AP News

Record low Danube levels push some countries in Eastern Europe to the brink of energy emergency  Toronto Star

Governments in Central and Eastern Europe are working to conserve electricity as low water levels on the Danube River threaten power plants

Countries across Europe are on the brink of an energy emergency as the River Danube falls to record-low water levels - with Romania carrying out underwater detonations to improve water flow.

The German vessel was revealed after water levels in the river, located in Prahovo, Serbia, fell to record lows amid another blistering heatwave.