Romania Buys Nine More Days for Nuclear Reactor by Rerouting Danube

Romania has extended the operating window of its only active nuclear reactor by nine days, after emergency engineering works on the Danube successfully nudged more water toward the plant's cooling intakes.

The energy ministry said on Sunday that it had sunk four barges loaded with rocks to form a dike, blasted a rock obstruction and dredged the riverbed. The measures raised water levels around the reactor by 4 centimetres — enough, based on current forecasts, to sustain normal operation for at least the next nine days.

The Danube at Romania's border entry point remains at a record low, but the state water management agency expects levels to begin recovering from August 15 as rainfall from upstream reaches the lower river.

The drought has already forced one of Romania's two reactors offline, cutting into national power output. Together, the reactors normally supply about 20% of the country's electricity. The government has declared an energy emergency for August and is asking households and businesses to voluntarily cut consumption during evening peak hours.

Romania's power mix draws on gas, coal, hydro, nuclear and renewables, but much of the infrastructure is ageing. The country has committed to phasing out coal in exchange for European Union recovery funds, planning to replace it with gas and renewable capacity. However, lawmakers recently approved an amendment blocking any coal plant shutdowns, a move that could put those EU funds at risk.