Romania approves Danube dredging and water releases to cool Cernavoda nuclear plant

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 22, 2026 at 01:46 PM

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Romania approves Danube dredging and water releases to cool Cernavoda nuclear plant

Romania's National Committee for Emergency Situations approved measures to raise Danube water levels and ensure cooling of the Cernavoda nuclear plant, the government press office said on Saturday. The plant remains shut due to historically low Danube levels, and the country has declared a state of emergency throughout August. Emergency dredging and water releases from Hidroelectrica reservoirs are planned to supplement the river flow.

Key Facts

Romania's National Committee for Emergency Situations approved the measures on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
The Cernavoda nuclear power plant remains shut due to historically low Danube levels.
Hidroelectrica will release water from reservoirs on the River Olt for five days starting Saturday.
A groyne will be built along the Old Danube channel to divert water toward the plant's cooling water intake.
Romania has declared a state of emergency throughout August due to a decline in electricity production.

Emergency Measures

The National Committee for Emergency Situations approved new measures to boost the water level of the River Danube and ensure cooling of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. Emergency dredging of the Danube course in the plant area is planned. Along the Old Danube channel, a groyne will be built to divert water towards the area of the water intake for the cooling systems of the plant. High-capacity pumps will be mobilized to maintain, if needed, the water level necessary for the operation of the plant.

Water Releases

Hydro plant operator Hidroelectrica will begin releasing water from reservoirs on the River Olt on Saturday for five days. The releases are intended to supplement Danube flow and generate extra electricity.

Plant Shutdown

The Cernavoda plant remains shut due to historically low Danube levels. Romania has declared a state of emergency throughout August stemming from a decline in electricity production.

1 source

Romania approves Danube dredging and water releases to cool Cernavoda nuclear plant

reuters.com

Reuters Business

Environment

Moldova cuts lighting by 30%, limits water use as Dniester shallows

Moldova's national crisis commission has approved measures to reduce electricity and water consumption after the Dniester River dropped to critically low levels. The restrictions include cutting public building lighting by at least 30%, banning decorative lighting from 18:00 to 06:00, and limiting agricultural water extraction to nighttime hours. The action follows similar strains in Romania, where one reactor at the Cernavodă nuclear plant was halted due to low Danube levels.

Politics

Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant to resume power production Monday evening

Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant will restart electricity production Monday evening after a weeklong shutdown forced by record-low Danube water levels, Prime Minister Peter Magyar confirmed. The closure, the first in the plant’s 44-year history, had strained Hungary’s power grid during a heatwave, leading authorities to call for voluntary electricity conservation.

Environment

Serbia's fuel imports fall 75% as Danube drought hits barge deliveries

Serbia's fuel imports dropped to 25% of their July target as low Danube River levels choked barge deliveries, Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said Wednesday. The logistics crisis exposed the country's reliance on the single domestic refinery operated by U.S.-sanctioned NIS.

Environment

Europe's nuclear plants cut output as heatwaves drain rivers

European nuclear operators have cut output or halted reactors as record heatwaves and drought push river levels to historic lows. Romania disconnected its only operating reactor in August, and Hungary's Paks plant is running just one of four turbines. The disruptions are expected to cost Europe billions in economic losses.

Romania approves Danube dredging and water releases to cool Cernavoda nuclear plant

Key Facts

Emergency Measures

Water Releases

Plant Shutdown

Read more

Read more