Romania’s National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) has approved a new decision establishing a series of emergency measures and interventions aimed at securing the water flow needed to maintain cooling at the 1.3 GW Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), according to Romania’s national press agency AGERPRES (22/08/2026).
The measures include the continuation of dredging operations on the Danube in the Cernavoda area. Also in the Cernavoda area, on the Old Danube, will be built a groyne designed to divert part of the Danube's water towards the Danube-Black Sea Canal and, consequently, towards the water intake area of the plant's cooling systems”, the committee added.
Hydropower operator Hidroelectrica will begin releasing water from reservoirs along the River Olt for five days, both to supplement the Danube’s flow and to produce additional electricity. Finally, high-capacity pumps will be deployed to maintain, if necessary, the water level required for the plant to operate.
During the summer of 2026, Romania was forced to shut down the last operating reactor at its only nuclear power plant after drought conditions caused the Danube to reach record-low water levels. The drought-stricken river, whose waters are used to cool the Cernavoda plant, had already prompted Nuclearelectrica to shut down one reactor in late July. Romania has declared a state of energy emergency throughout August and called on companies and households to reduce their electricity consumption during peak hours. Drought conditions and record-low water levels have heightened concerns over an energy crisis across Europe, which has been hit by another summer heatwave.
The shutdown has also affected neighboring countries such as Moldova, which relies heavily on electricity imports. Romania, for instance, exported 45% of its power exports to Moldova. Hungary has also been forced to reduce nuclear power generation at its Paks nuclear power plant, which is facing a partial shutdown. The plant accounts for around 40% of Hungary’s electricity supply.
The Danube is one of the world’s most international rivers, flowing through or along the borders of 10 countries, from Germany to the Black Sea. Its low water levels during drought periods can therefore create significant tensions over energy supplies across several countries.
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