Romania shut down its only nuclear plant on Thursday, in a rare move due to drought that has caused the Danube river, whose waters cool the plant, to fall to record lows.
Key Statements
The Nuclearelectrica company had already shut one of the plant’s two 700 megawatt reactors last month, and announced Thursday that it needed to shut the second “due to the significant and ongoing drop in the water level of the River Danube”.
Political Context
In early August, the government said carmakers Dacia and Ford would pause production in the country until August 19 to help with the power deficit. Nearly two-thirds of the Danube has seen flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July in 34 years, according to an analysis published Monday by the European climate change observatory Copernicus. France, which uses nuclear power to generate around 70 percent of its electricity, recorded a more than 20 percent shortfall in atomic production capacity this week, a record deficit caused by outages linked to drought, extreme heat and a jellyfish invasion, according to AFP calculations based on EDF data.
The drought in Europe has been exacerbated by human-induced climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution group of scientists, who warn that the problem will worsen. But with the river expected to drop further, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said Wednesday that the government had ordered the construction of a submerged wall, or weir, to try to control flows nears the plant.
What Happens Next
Alternative power sources, including from wind power as well as electricity imports, are expected to ensure adequate supplies, the energy ministry said Wednesday.
