Romania reconnects first reactor at Cernavodă NPP to grid — Balkan Insight

On November 5, Romania began reconnecting Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant to the national power grid. The unit had been offline since late July due to low water levels in the Danube. As Balkan Insight reports, rising river levels made it possible to resume the reactor’s safe operation.

State operator Nuclearelectrica expects Unit 1 to reach full capacity by November 7. The company’s CEO, Mihai Joara, said restoring its operation is an important step for the country’s energy security and the stability of the national power system.

Shutdown due to low Danube levels

Unit 1 was shut down on July 28, and Unit 2 on August 13. The reason was exceptionally low water levels in the Danube, which threatened the supply of water needed to cool the reactors.

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The two units at the Cernavodă NPP normally provide about one-fifth of Romania’s electricity needs. Their prolonged shutdown reduced domestic electricity generation and increased the country’s dependence on coal-fired power plants, hydropower and imports.

The second unit remains offline

Unit 2 remains shut down. Its reconnection will depend on a more sustained recovery in the Danube’s water level.

The Romanian government extended its energy security readiness regime through November due to warnings of a possible shortage of electricity reserves during periods of peak demand. The authorities ruled out consumption restrictions but warned that electricity bills could rise because domestic demand may need to be partly covered by imports.