Romanian naval forces have carried out a controlled explosion to help redirect cooling water from the drought-hit Danube river to the country’s last operational nuclear reactor. The operation used 180kg of explosives to move a large rock that was restricting water flow.
This measure comes as Hungary and Romania face an energy crisis, with record-low Danube water levels forcing nuclear reactors cooled by the river to reduce output or shut down. Romania has declared a nationwide state of emergency throughout August due to a decline in electricity production following the shutdown at the Cernavodǎ nuclear plant.
Hungary's Paks nuclear power station, which normally generates nearly half of the country's electricity, has been operating at less than half its capacity since Monday. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the plant is expected to be fully shut down next week, with the closure potentially lasting several weeks due to the Danube remaining too shallow for cooling systems.
No significant rainfall is forecast for the coming days or weeks, meaning Danube water levels are not expected to rise. The low levels have also impacted Serbia's key hydroelectric plant, which is operating at only 20% capacity.