Romania Starts Shutting Down Sole Working Nuclear Reactor

The drought-hit river already forced the power producer to shut down one reactor in late July. The company has two 706-megawatt reactors in Cernavoda on the Danube, accounting for a fifth of the country’s power output. Romania has declared a state of energy emergency throughout August and asked companies and households to voluntarily reduce consumption during peak evening hours.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The Energy Ministry has turned on a 330-megawatt lignite-fired power plant, it said, adding it was also relying on increased wind generation and hydro power, based on available water in reservoirs, to make up for the shortages. Given slightly cooler temperatures, power demand at peak evening hours was expected to be lower, it said. “The national power grid has a cross-border capacity of roughly 4,000 megawatts to enable electricity imports,” the ministry said in a statement. “All European operators know the regional energy crisis situations and are coordinating to ensure safety in supplying all the grids hurt by weather conditions.” The government has prepared a system to cut power for industrial consumers in stages and with prior notice if needed. It had sought to avoid closing the reactor through unprecedented measures, including detonating a rock obstruction, dredging the riverbed and sinking rock-filled barges in the Danube to redirect flows to around the power plant. Europe has suffered weeks ofrecord-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, placing enormous pressure on power supply, shipping and public health systems. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine's Energy Staff Reviews Winter Preparations, Sets Repair Priorities Authorities review power and gas imbalances across multiple winter scenarios, as Russian strikes intensify. Shutting down the reactor posed immediate problems for Moldova, Romania’s eastern neighbour, which has also endured low river levels and relied on Romanian power to cover up to 60% of its own electricity shortages. With Romanian imports now unavailable, Moldova faces the prospect of increased purchases from Ukraine, if Kyiv can supply the power, buying more expensive power from Western countries or imposing rolling power cuts. “I think we should be ready for a worsening situation, including power outages, although it’s hard to say for sure right now,” Moldovan energy expert Sergiu Tofilat told Radio Chisinau. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.