After Hungary, Romania was also forced to shut down the Cernavodă plant, its only nuclear power station because of extremely low water levels in the Danube river. The waters in Europe’s second-longest river have fallen to the lowest levels for 30 years in the Eastern-European EU member countries, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
The Romanian power station’s two reactors produce about 20% of Romania’s electricity. The loss is everyday greater as the nuclear station is not expected to be restarted within the next two weeks.
Authorities have tried their best to increase the water flow to the plant — which uses the Danube for cooling — by sinking barges loaded with rocks in the river, but in vain.
Neighbouring Hungary has so far avoided a full shutdown of its only nuclear plant in Paks, which also uses the Danube, one reactor is still running and generating electricity.
The waters in Europe’s second-longest river have fallen to the lowest levels for 30 years in several countries.
