Romania’s state-owned Nuclearelectrica began a controlled shutdown of the second reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant on Thursday. Record-low water levels on the Danube River forced the closure by compromising the facility's cooling systems.
The company previously shut down the plant’s first reactor in late July due to the same environmental conditions. The Cernavoda facility typically generates approximately 20% of Romania’s total electricity.
Romania’s Ministry of Energy will utilize alternative domestic sources and imports to maintain the national power supply. Nuclearelectrica had issued a warning on August 11 that persistent drought could trigger this operational halt.