Romania shuts Cernavodă Unit 2, removing about 700 MW as Danube water falls to record low

At 10:53 a.m. local time on 13 August 2026 the Romanian Energy Ministry confirmed the controlled shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. The reactor's net capacity of about 700 MW represents roughly 10 % of Romania's electricity generation in 2026, according to the ministry's press release.

The ministry said monitoring showed the Danube River's flow had fallen below the minimum required for the plant's cooling system. With water levels at a record low, the cooling circuit could not guarantee safe operation, prompting the shutdown order.

Transelectrica, the national grid operator, responded by activating imports and dispatching additional hydro, wind and coal-fired capacity, as well as reserve plants. The mix of measures is intended to offset the 700 MW loss and keep the system balanced.

Unit 1 at Cernavodă was taken offline on 28 July 2026 after similar Danube-level concerns, prompting an electricity-crisis notification to the European Commission. In early August, emergency dredging, rock blasting and the deployment of sunken barges temporarily raised water levels, extending Unit 2's operation by about a week before the final shutdown.

The ministry will continue to monitor river levels and assess whether further emergency measures can keep the remaining reactor online. Meanwhile, the EU is watching the situation as cross-border electricity imports rise, highlighting the broader vulnerability of European power systems to heat-wave-driven droughts.