Romania is preparing emergency works on the Danube to maintain cooling-water supplies to the Cernavoda nuclear power plant as exceptionally low river levels threaten water availability.
Authorities have approved a three-stage intervention plan that would be triggered if the level in the plant’s intake basin falls to 1.58 metres.
The first measure would involve positioning loaded vessels and barges across about 600 metres of the river to redirect more water towards the Danube-Black Sea Canal and the Cernavoda intake.
If that proves insufficient, authorities could construct a temporary closure structure of around 170 metres near the connecting canal. Pontoons and barriers are the preferred option, although a temporary stone dam is also being considered.
High-capacity pumps would be used as a final measure to transfer additional water directly towards the cooling intake.
Both Cernavoda units are currently offline. The Danube level in the area has fallen to around 1.86 metres, while forecasts indicate below-average flows through September, October and November.
Adequate cooling water remains necessary even when the reactors are not generating electricity, making plant safety rather than a rapid restart the immediate priority.
Previous attempts to improve water availability, including blasting a rock formation and sinking barges to redirect river flows, failed to provide a lasting solution.
The timing of any return to nuclear generation will depend heavily on whether Danube conditions improve.
