Romania sinks barges in Danube to keep nuclear plant operating amid low water levels

Romanian officials began sinking four barges loaded with rock into the Danube on Thursday to create an underwater barrier that will channel water toward the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. The measure is intended to sustain the plant’s second reactor, which faces shutdown within days because of unusually low river levels caused by heatwaves and limited rainfall.

The barges were placed after the military used explosives to blast rock from the river near the Bala Canal. Once submerged, the structures are expected to redirect flow downstream, a process that could take about a day to affect the plant located roughly 60 kilometers away.

"If the installed barges bring surplus water ... instead of five to six days, we will talk about nine to 10 days of operation from today onward," plant director Romeo Urjan told local channel Digi24.

The Danube’s flow this week fell to about 1,400 cubic meters per second, less than a third of the typical rate for the season. Since the first reactor was shut down last week, authorities have also undertaken dredging and other emergency actions.

Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared a nationwide energy sector alert on July 31 and urged citizens to limit electricity use during peak evening hours. He said the barge operation is expected to continue until Friday and is aimed at maintaining sufficient water flow so the second reactor can run at maximum capacity.

Bolojan warned that a complete shutdown of Cernavodă could lead to energy shortfalls, potentially requiring imports from neighboring countries that are themselves coping with drought-related constraints. Nearby Hungary and Moldova are experiencing similar pressures on their nuclear facilities and have called for voluntary consumption reductions.