Record-low Danube forces Romania to shut down nuclear plant, pushes Hungary's Paks to 25% capacity

Romania shuts down Cernavoda's last working reactor

On the morning of August 13, 2026, Nuclearelectrica began the controlled shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant on the Danube, according to a statement addressed to the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The first reactor had already been shut down in late July. The plant's two reactors, rated at 700 MW by some sources and 706 MW by others, normally account for about a fifth of Romania's total electricity generation. Plant director Romeo Urjan said no restart was expected for at least ten days. The last complete shutdown of both units occurred during the 2003 heat wave, which lasted several weeks.

Desperate engineering to keep cooling water flowing

Romanian authorities had tried extraordinary measures to avoid the shutdown. The military blasted a rock obstruction with explosives, dredged the riverbed, and sank four rock-filled barges near the Danube's Bala Canal to redirect water toward the plant. These operations cost over 2 million euros but ultimately could not compensate for the receding river levels. Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared a nationwide state of alert in the energy sector on July 31, covering the entire month of August. Nuclearelectrica stated that maintaining both units in a safe shutdown state has no impact on nuclear safety parameters, including personnel, the environment, and the population.

Alternative power and industrial impact

The energy ministry activated a 330 MW lignite-fired power plant and is relying on increased wind generation and hydropower from available reservoir water. The national grid has roughly 4,000 MW of cross-border capacity for electricity imports. The ministry said all European operators are coordinating to ensure safety in supplying grids affected by weather conditions. The government has prepared a staged power-cut system for industrial consumers with prior notice if needed. Automakers Dacia and Ford suspended production in Romania until August 19 due to the electricity deficit. The Ministry of Energy said estimates show the country's electricity supply would be fully covered by alternative sources and imports after the shutdown.

Hungary's Paks plant on the brink

Hungary's Paks nuclear plant, also cooled by Danube water, was forced to cut its 2-gigawatt output to just over 10% earlier in August, barely escaping a full shutdown for the first time in its 44-year history. It is now operating at 25% of capacity. The plant's four reactors normally cover about a third of Hungary's electricity needs. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on August 13 that the government would build a riverbed sill, a submerged dam-like structure, to raise water levels. Both Hungary and Romania have asked companies and households to reduce power consumption during peak evening hours.

Climate pressure on nuclear infrastructure

Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, a professor at the Central European University in Vienna, said scientific modelling shows Central Eastern Europe becoming drier.

This is not only due to less rains, but because the soil moisture and in the groundwater levels have dropped over the past years, and less precipitation and more heatwaves exacerbate soil drying.

At a conference last year of the Hungarian Hydrological Society, water engineers warned that flow patterns on the Danube may become more extreme and volatile. Both Romania and Hungary remain committed to expanding nuclear production as a source of domestic, low-carbon power, but face the challenge of cooling reactors with less dependence on river water levels.