CERNAVODA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SHUTS DOWN

CHISINAU, AUGUST 13 /SRNA/ - Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down due to low water levels in the Danube, and the authorities plan to make up the shortfall through imports, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Sorin Elisei said.

The first of the plant’s two reactors was shut down last week due to low water levels in the Danube. On July 31, the Romanian government declared a state of heightened alert in the energy sector due to reduced electricity generation caused by drought. Earlier that day, the process of shutting down the second reactor began.

“The Cernavoda nuclear power plant has been completely shut down. We are relying on increased import capacity, particularly from Bulgaria, and we are closely monitoring forecasts that could affect our situation, such as the increase in wind power generation expected today and tomorrow,” Elisei said.

He added that the authorities were also counting on hydropower reserves and voluntary reductions in electricity consumption across the country, news.ro reported.

Cernavoda nuclear power plant Director Romeo Urjan said on August 6 that the plant would remain out of operation for at least 10 days and that, once the water level in the Danube rises, it would take another one to two days for the plant to resume full-capacity operation.

Cernavoda is Romania’s only nuclear power plant. It is located on the banks of the Danube and uses river water to cool its reactors, meaning that the water level directly affects the safe operation of the plant’s units.

The plant’s two reactors provide around 20 percent of Romania’s electricity generation.