Romania shuts nuclear plant as Danube drops

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

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.

Viktor Orbán once hailed the project as the “deal of the century.”

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

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.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar cast doubt on the Russian-led expansion of the country’s sole nuclear power plant after the record-low level of the Danube river almost led to a full shutdown of the existing reactors.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube has seen flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July in 34 years, according to an analysis published on Monday by the European climate change observatory, Copernicus.

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.

Record low water levels in the River Danube force temporary shutdown of Romania’s last operating nuclear reactor, obliging the country to import more electricity.

In response to alarming low levels of the Danube river, Romania's energy sector is on high alert. Unit one of the Cernavoda nuclear power facility has ceased operations due to water scarcity. To maintain unit two's functionality, emergency measures including river dredging have been implemented. Authorities have also u

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

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube, the river whose water is used to cool the plants, has recorded flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July.

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube, the river whose water is used to cool the plants, has recorded flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July.

13 August 2026 Romania’s nuclear group Nuclearelectrica (BVB: SNN) announced that, on the morning of August 13, 2026, it began procedures for the controlled shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant. The shutdown procedure of Unit 2 at Cernavodă began at 8:00 AM, according to data consulted by Economica.n

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