Romania Shuts Only Nuclear Plant as Danube Drought Cuts Cooling Water

Romania has shut down its only nuclear power plant, the Cernavoda facility, due to dangerously low water levels in the Danube River, which supplies the cooling water essential for reactor operations. The plant normally generates approximately 20% of Romania's electricity, making the closure a significant blow to the country's energy supply.

Hungary is also managing the crisis by damming sections of the Danube to maintain sufficient water flow to its Paks nuclear power station. Romania had previously attempted to address the low water levels by blasting a rocky outcrop in the riverbed to redirect more water toward the plant, but this proved insufficient.

This is the first shutdown of the Cernavoda plant since 2023, when a similar drought forced the same emergency measure. Scientists warn that such extreme low-water events on the Danube are becoming more frequent as climate change intensifies summer heat waves across Central and Eastern Europe.