Romania is taking emergency measures to raise the water level of the Danube and restore the operation of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant. This was reported by Reuters.
The Romanian authorities have implemented new emergency measures to increase the water level of the Danube River and ensure the necessary water supply for the cooling systems of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant. The decision was made in response to the lowest water flow recorded in the Danube in decades.
The Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant is currently completely shut down. Both of its reactors have been halted due to a sharp decrease in the Danube's water level, as the river's water is used in the plant's cooling systems. The Romanian government declared a state of emergency in August due to a decline in electricity production associated with the halt of nuclear generation.
To alleviate the situation, authorities plan to immediately continue dredging and cleaning the Danube's channel in the Cernavoda area. Additionally, a special water distribution structure is planned to be built along the Old Danube Canal, which will allow directing the water flow to the section of the Danube-Black Sea Canal from where water is taken for the plant's cooling systems.
Furthermore, the hydropower operator Hidroelectrica will release additional water from the Olt River reservoirs for five days starting Saturday. The Danube's flow is expected to be supplemented by approximately 50 cubic meters per second. Authorities estimate that this water release will also enable the production of additional hydropower.
Emergency services are also preparing to activate high-capacity pumps if necessary to maintain the water level within required limits in the nuclear plant area.
The unprecedented drop in the Danube's water level in recent weeks has created serious problems not only for Romania's energy systems but also for the region as a whole.
