Earlier this month, Romania sank 4 rock-filled barges into the Danube to keep its nuclear reactor running. Days later, the river rose 1.6 inches when forecasters had expected it to fall

Water shortages are becoming an increasingly important challenge for energy infrastructure, particularly for power plants that depend on rivers for cooling. Romania is now dealing with an unusual example of this concern at the Cernavodă nuclear facility, where extremely low Danube flows have prompted authorities to use four rock-filled barges to redirect water toward the plant.

Romania has placed four rock-filled barges in the Danube to help protect cooling-water supplies for the Cernavodă nuclear plant as exceptionally low river levels threaten its operations. The submerged barges are made to redirect more of the available water toward the main channel leading to the facility.


The move produced an unexpected result. The river level at Cernavodă rose 1.6 inches over 24 hours, even though forecasters had forecasted a 1.6-inch decline. Romania's Energy Ministry stated that the improvement could preserve operating conditions for at least nine days.

Nuclear Power Meets a Severe Water Shortage

Cernavodă has two CANDU 6 reactors, each capable of producing almost 700 MW. Together, they normally generate around 18% to 20% of Romania's electricity.

Unit 1 was shut down in a controlled manner on July 28 after really low water pushed operating conditions toward drought limits. Unit 2 continued running at nominal capacity, although Nuclearelectrica cautioned that “the possibility of shutting down Unit 2 remains valid” if conditions deteriorate.

The plant relies on cooling water from the Danube-Black Sea Canal, making river levels important to safe operation.

The Danube Is Running Far Below Normal

On Aug. 10, flow at Baziaș was only 49,440 cubic feet per second, compared with an August average of 137,730 cubic feet per second. INHGA anticipated similarly low inflows through Aug. 17.

Authorities have also dredged parts of the riverbed, used controlled blasting, and approved seven million lei for emergency flow-management measures.

A Temporary Fix, Not a Solution

The barges can change where water flows, but they cannot increase the amount of water entering the Danube. Their purpose is therefore to buy time rather than solve the drought.

The problem goes beyond Romania. Copernicus reported unusually low July river flows across parts of central and eastern Europe, while the European Drought Observatory reported critical drought conditions across much of Europe during mid-July.

The European Environment Agency says power-plant cooling accounted for 36% of economic-sector water abstraction in the EU between 2000 and 2022, emphasizing the close relationship between water availability and energy security.

For now, Unit 2 remains Romania's only operating nuclear reactor, leaving authorities closely watching every change in the Danube.

Source: ECONEWS

FAQs:

Q1. Why is water important for nuclear power plants?

Nuclear power plants need cooling systems to manage heat generated during operation. Reliable water supplies can therefore be important for maintaining safe operating conditions.

Q2. Why did Romania put barges in the Danube?

The barges were placed in the river to influence water flow. They help direct more of the available water toward the channel serving the Cernavodă facility.