Nuclearelectrica, Romania’s nuclear operator, expects to reconnect Cernavoda Unit 1 to the grid on 6 November 2026, following a shutdown of more than three months as exceptionally low Danube levels disrupted cooling-water supplies. The company said minimum safety conditions for resynchronisation had been met and restart preparations had begun. Unit 1 has approximately 700 MW of installed capacity.
Unit 1 stopped operating on 28 July 2026, while Unit 2 shut down on 13 August 2026 after reduced river flows constrained cooling water. Both outages occurred during the summer drought. Nuclearelectrica expects Unit 2 to remain offline until river conditions improve enough to support the simultaneous operation of both units.
Cernavoda has two 700 MW reactors, commissioned in 1996 and 2007, and normally accounts for approximately 20% of Romania’s electricity production. The planned restart would return baseload generation to a market facing tighter domestic supply and increased import requirements.
Nuclearelectrica lowered its projected 2026 net profit by 42.9% to €220 million, reflecting reduced electricity output from Cernavoda. The company’s shareholders also approved an €800 million European Investment Bank loan to help finance Unit 1 refurbishment and extend its operating life. That longer-term programme is continuing despite the outage.
Operating Unit 1 will itself require substantial withdrawals of Danube water. The planned reconnection could improve Romania’s electricity balance, but restoring the plant’s full generating capability depends on sufficient and sustained river flow. Cooling-water availability remains a central operational risk for Cernavoda.
