Cernavodă nuclear plant restart delayed until river flow improves, says energy official

Cristian Bușoi, state secretary at the Ministry of Energy, told Digi24 that the Cernavodă nuclear power plant cannot be scheduled for a restart while the Danube remains at low levels. Forecasts for the next ten days show no improvement, and even suggest a decline, raising safety concerns. More optimistic outlooks for the end of October or early November indicate a potential increase in river flow, though these estimates carry lower confidence.

Bușoi stressed that running the plant without sufficient water could harm its pumps, which would take months or up to a year to replace. He also noted that any public announcement about the restart would affect market behavior, so timing must be handled carefully. The restart will be communicated only when authorities are certain the operation can be conducted safely.