Drought forces shutdown of Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear plant

The state-owned operator exhausted all engineering alternatives before pulling the plug, including dredging the riverbed and attempting to redirect water flow with rock-filled barges. With the plant offline, the energy ministry has activated a 330-megawatt lignite-fired station to mitigate the shortfall. Authorities are relying on wind generation and reservoir-stored hydro power to stabilize the national grid while urging households to limit consumption during evening peaks.

Romania remains under a state of energy emergency throughout August. To prevent systemic failure, the government has finalized a tiered plan to disconnect industrial consumers if imports fail to meet demand. Officials claim the national grid maintains a 4,000-megawatt cross-border import capacity, coordinating with European neighbors to manage the regional crisis. This summer’s extreme heat continues to strain infrastructure across the continent, affecting shipping lanes, power supply, and public health systems alike.