Danube drought threatens Romanian nuclear shutdown

A severe drought and record-low water levels on the Danube River have forced Romanian state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica to shut down one of its two reactors at the Cernavoda plant in late July, and it warned on August 11 that it may have to shut down its last working reactor on August 13. The company has taken unprecedented measures to keep the reactor running, including detonating a rock obstruction, dredging the riverbed, and sinking rock-filled barges to redirect water flow. Romania has declared a state of energy emergency for August and asked consumers to reduce usage, with plans to cut power to industrial users if needed. The Danube's flow at Romania's entry point hit a new all-time low of 1,370 cubic meters per second. In neighboring Moldova, officials agreed with Ukraine to reduce water flow through the Dniester Hydroelectric Station to 75 cubic meters per second to manage low water levels on the Dniester River, affecting irrigation and water supply. Hungary, upstream, restarted a turbine at the Paks nuclear plant after a slight rise in Danube levels. The drought and heatwave across Europe have disrupted power production, shipping, and public health.