Romania’s Nuclearelectrica expects to reconnect Cernavoda Unit 1 to the grid on 6 November 2026, after more than three months offline because exceptionally low Danube levels disrupted cooling-water supplies. The company said minimum safety conditions for resynchronisation have been met and preparations for the restart are under way.
Unit 1, which has approximately 700 MW of installed capacity, stopped operating on 28 July 2026. Unit 2 was shut down on 13 August 2026, as lower Danube flows constrained the supply of cooling water. Nuclearelectrica expects Unit 2 to remain offline until river conditions can support both units operating at the same time.
Cernavoda’s two 700 MW reactors entered service in 1996 and 2007. The plant normally supplies approximately 20% of Romania’s electricity production. Its planned restart would restore baseload generation to a domestic market facing tighter supply and greater import requirements.
Financial impact and refurbishment funding
Nuclearelectrica cut its projected 2026 net profit by 42.9% to 220 million euros, reflecting lower electricity output from Cernavoda. Shareholders also approved an 800 million euros loan from the European Investment Bank to help finance Unit 1’s refurbishment and extend its operating life. The longer-term programme is continuing despite the current outage.
Operating Unit 1 will require substantial withdrawals of Danube water. Its reconnection could improve Romania’s electricity balance, but restoring the plant’s full generating capability depends on sufficient, sustained river flow. Cooling-water availability remains a central operational risk.
