Experts warn Danube low water could repeatedly halt Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear output

Hydro-technician Cornel Ilinca warned that climate change is turning rare Danube droughts into a near-decadal pattern, endangering the cooling water needed for the Cernavodă nuclear reactors. He criticized the Romanian government for repeatedly deferring hydro-technical investments, saying each administration expects the crisis to fall to its successor. Summer interventions raised the river by only four centimetres for a few days, insufficient to prevent the water level dropping below the -262 cm limit that forced the reactors into safe shutdown.

Ilinca suggested installing stable inflatable barriers to boost the Danube and its old arm, as well as building dedicated cooling-tower systems similar to those at gas-fired plants. Measurements recorded three consecutive days with levels at -262, -266 and -268 cm, setting new records, while forecasts predict continued low levels for the next five days. Authorities have temporarily increased the flow from the Iezer reservoir and limited canal traffic, but the plant remains offline until water levels rise to safe limits.