Romania is expected to remain without output from the Cernavoda nuclear plant into October as low Danube levels continue to restrict cooling conditions. The prolonged loss of baseload generation is occurring during a tight regional power market, increasing reliance on cross-border supply. Danube water levels are cited as the key constraint on restarting operations.
Cernavoda’s two CANDU reactors normally cover around 20% of Romanian electricity consumption. With both units offline, the impact extends beyond domestic generation and affects neighbouring markets. The outage has already tightened Romanian electricity balances and increased import demand.
Cooling constraints linked to Danube water levels
Low water levels are reported to be insufficient for parts of the plant’s cooling infrastructure. While CANDU reactors use heavy water in their nuclear systems, the conventional turbine side depends on Danube water for cooling. Generation cannot resume until minimum operating conditions are restored.
The situation has strengthened the importance of cross-border availability during periods of high consumption or weak renewable generation. Stronger import demand reflects the need to replace lost baseload output from Cernavoda. This comes as regional supply needs remain sensitive to both demand swings and renewable variability.
Implications for nuclear operations amid drought risk
The episode also points to longer-term operational considerations for southeastern Europe’s nuclear ambitions. River conditions and cooling-system design are becoming more important as drought risk increases across the region. The constraints at Cernavoda illustrate how water availability can affect restart timelines.
