Turceni coal unit shut after boiler rupture, cutting national power supply

On Monday, the 285 MW Group 5 of the Turceni power station - the sole remaining coal-fired unit in the Oltenia Energy Complex - was halted after a boiler in its vaporizer ruptured, according to Transelectrica. The failure removed the plant’s output, bringing total coal generation under the 350 MW threshold and threatening the national grid during peak demand periods, particularly in the evening when solar production disappears.

Daytime supply is currently supported by roughly 3 000 MW of photovoltaic generation, accounting for over 60 % of national output. However, recent drought-related low Danube flows have already forced Cernavodă nuclear reactors offline, and wind output is forecast to be low. Consequently, Romania has been relying heavily on imports, which have risen to near 3 400 MW, close to the external interconnection limit of about 4 000 MW. The Turceni shutdown adds further strain to an already tight system.