Bulgaria cuts Kozloduy nuclear output as Danube water levels hit critical low

Bulgaria’s energy ministry said the Kozloduy nuclear facility will reduce the output of one of its two 1,000-megawatt reactors by about 120 MW on Aug 21, citing an “unprecedented and critical” decline in Danube river water levels that are essential for cooling. The plant, which supplies more than a third of the nation’s power, has never before curtailed production for weather-related reasons in its 52 years of operation.

The decision follows similar actions in Romania, where the Cernavoda plant was shut down on Aug 13, and Hungary, which has been trying to keep its Paks plant running by engineering measures such as riverbed sills and rock-filled barges. Other European reactors, including Switzerland’s Beznau and several in France, have also been limited by high river temperatures. Experts link the severe drought to human-induced climate change and warn that such constraints could become more frequent. Prime Minister Peter Magyar indicated turbines would restart on Aug 23 with full capacity expected the following week.