Romania relies on Bulgaria and the wind after shutting down Cernavoda nuclear plant

14 August 2026 Strong wind, the prosumers shifting their input during peak hours, and the imports from Bulgaria helped Romania’s power system on the first day after Nuclearelectrica shut down its last reactor on August 13, leaving the country without nearly 20% of its electricity production. The electricity provided by

Romanian state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica has started the process of disconnecting its sole working reactor from the power grid due to record low Danube river levels, it said on Thursday.

This is only the second time in three decades that the country's sole nuclear power plant, which supplies nearly 20% of electricity for Romania's 19 million residents, has been shut down.

This is only the second time in three decades that the country's sole nuclear power plant, which supplies nearly 20% of electricity for Romania's 19 million residents, has been shut down.

The plant is not expected to restart for at least 10 days, while Romania plans to rely on alternative power sources and imports.

Romania has shut down its only nuclear plant in a rare move prompted by the lack of cooling water from the Danube River. Hungary, meanwhile, is racing to dam the Danube, trying to keep its Paks plant online.

Romania's Nuclearelectrica starts shutting down sole working nuclear reactor over drought  Reuters

The Cernavodă plant, which produces 20% of Romania's electricity, is not expected to be restarted within the next 10 days.

Romania shut down its only nuclear plant on Thursday, in a rare move due to drought that has caused the Danube river, whose waters cool the plant, to fall to record lows.Romania shuts nuclear plant as Danube dropsMuch of Europe is facing a new summer heatwave amid a drought that has driven rivers to historic lows.The C

Scorching heat and low rainfall in recent weeks have left the Danube River at record lows and forced the state-owned Cernavoda plant to shut down its first reactor in late July.

The Cernavoda plant usually generates a fifth of Romania’s electricity.

Romania had tried to avert a total shutdown of the plant, which usually generates a fifth of the country's electricity.

Scorching heat and low rainfall in recent weeks have left the Danube River at record lows and forced the state-owned Cernavoda plant to shut down its first reactor in late July.

Romania begins shutdown of nuclear plant's 2nd reactor amid low water levels on Danube River  Toronto Star

Romania has begun a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant

Romania has begun a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant

Romania to shut down nuclear plant due to low Danube  euractiv.com

Police suspect cardiac arrest; the 51-year-old’s body has been sent for autopsy