Danube Low Levels Force Romania Nuclear Plant Shutdown; Spain Extends Operations

Romania shut down its last working nuclear reactor on Thursday due to an and ongoing drop in the Danube River's water level.

The Cernavoda plant, Romania's only nuclear power plant, relies entirely on the Danube for cooling water and typically generates about one-fifth of the nation's electricity. This marks only the second shutdown in three decades for the plant, with the previous occurrence in 2023 also due to drought. Romania's state-owned Nuclearelectrica had already taken one of Cernavoda's two reactors offline last month.

Plant director Romeo Urjan does not anticipate a restart within the next 10 days. Romania's Energy Ministry is now securing alternative power sources, including wind and imports, and urged responsible public consumption. Carmakers Ford and Dacia have committed to pausing production until August 19 to conserve power. In Hungary, the 2-gigawatt Paks nuclear plant's output was cut to just over 10% earlier this month, now operating at 25% capacity, also due to low Danube levels.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed doubts about a deal with Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom to expand Paks, citing the plant's environmental exposure. Magyar noted Hungary has spent approximately 1,000 billion forints (€2.8 billion) on the Paks II project, which is behind schedule, and his government is reviewing it. Meanwhile, Spain's government reversed its policy, extending the operating life of the Almaraz nuclear plant until June 8, 2030, delaying its planned 2028 closure.

The Almaraz plant, owned by Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy, contributes about 7% of Spain's national electricity. Sumar, a far-left junior coalition partner, condemned the decision as driven by corporate pressure. The extension aims to mitigate exposure to volatile energy markets, following a nationwide blackout in April 2025 and high energy prices. France also experienced six nuclear reactor shutdowns on Thursday due to a heatwave, rendering nearly 20% of its nuclear fleet unavailable.