Drought Puts Danube Nuclear Power Plants Under Pressure

Cernavoda – 04/08/2026: Persistent drought and repeated heatwaves have caused the Danube’s water level to fall so far that Romania is resorting to unusual measures to secure operations at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant. According to the Associated Press, the Romanian military used 180 kilograms of explosives on 3 August to blast rocks in the Bala Canal. The aim was to direct more water into the main branch of the Danube and thus provide cooling water for the facility.

According to the report, the Danube’s flow rate in Romania was around 1,500 cubic metres per second, less than one-third of the level usually seen in July. One of Cernavoda’s two reactors had already been shut down. The plant subsequently operated at only about half of its regular capacity, while the cooling water supply for the second reactor remained at risk.

According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear power plant has two CANDU reactors, each with a net capacity of 650 megawatts. The facility is of considerable importance to Romania’s electricity system: according to the IAEA, nuclear energy accounted for more than one-fifth of national electricity generation in 2025. A prolonged outage would therefore increase the need for other power plants or electricity imports.

Hungary is also affected. The Paks nuclear power plant, which uses Danube water for cooling, generated only 240 megawatts on 3 August instead of its usual output of around 2,000 megawatts, according to AP. The government had previously called on major industrial consumers to save energy and limited consumption during the evening hours. Paks is the country’s only nuclear power plant and a key pillar of Hungary’s electricity supply.

The drought extends far beyond the Danube basin. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre had already recorded worsening conditions in Romania, Hungary, France, Germany and Austria in June. At the end of July, it reported that heat and the lack of rainfall had further reduced soil moisture across large parts of Western and Central Europe.

For the energy sector, drought has several effects: rivers carry less water for hydropower plants while also providing poorer conditions for cooling thermal and nuclear facilities. Rising water temperatures can impose additional limits on their operation. In May, the European Commission had not expected any general supply risks for summer 2026, but urged ongoing monitoring in periods of high demand and low generation.

Romania’s acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared an emergency situation in the energy sector. Following talks with major industrial companies, Dacia and Ford halted production for maintenance work until 19 August, according to AP. Other companies pledged to reduce their consumption during the evening peak load period.