Romania declares state of emergency after Danube crisis shuts nuclear reactor

Romania declared a nationwide state of emergency for the month of August after record-low water levels in the Danube River forced the shutdown of a reactor at the country's only nuclear power plant, cutting roughly a fifth of its electricity supply and deepening an energy crisis that is now rippling across Central Europe.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced the emergency measures on July 31, saying the government had allocated funds to reroute water from a canal to keep the second reactor at the Cernavodă plant connected to the grid, according to Reuters. Romania is also negotiating with Ukraine and neighboring countries to secure electricity imports during peak consumption hours.reuters

A River Running Dry

The Danube's flow at Romania's entry point had fallen to roughly 1,630 cubic meters per second — about one-third of the long-term July average of 4,700 cubic meters per second — after months of drought and successive heat waves across the continent. Nuclearelectrica, the state-owned operator of Cernavodă's two 650-megawatt Candu reactors, shut down Unit 1 on July 28 due to what it called "unprecedentedly low" Danube levels. Unit 2 narrowly avoided the same fate after overnight analysis on July 29-30 found that operating parameters still permitted safe operation, though the company warned the second reactor "may be necessary to shut down at any time".globalbankingandfinance+1

Cernavodă generates about a fifth of Romania's electricity, and Bolojan said the shutdowns could last one to two weeks.caliber

Hungary and Beyond

The crisis extends well beyond Romania. In Hungary, the Paks nuclear plant — which supplies nearly half the country's power with four Russian-built reactors totaling 2 gigawatts — began cutting output on July 28 and was running below 50 percent capacity by July 30, Reuters reported. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that Paks could shut down entirely, an event that would be unprecedented in the plant's four-decade history. Magyar urged citizens to avoid charging electric vehicles and running air conditioners during peak evening hours and said the government had drawn up contingency plans to restrict consumption by large industrial users.bbc+2

In Budapest, the Danube's water level fell to 23 centimeters on July 30, well below the previous record low of 33 centimeters set in 2018, according to the Associated Press. In Bulgaria, police evacuated 186 tourists from a cruise ship that ran aground near the port city of Vidin after passengers ran out of food and water. France, Switzerland and Bulgaria have also reduced or halted nuclear output at river-cooled plants.fortune

Climate Pressures Mount

Researchers and plant operators say the disruptions reflect a growing seasonal vulnerability tied to climate change. Hungary's MVM, the Paks operator, noted that in previous years the Danube experienced multiple high-water episodes annually — but in 2026, "the water level has been low all year round". The operator said it had begun preparatory work to lower intake pipes so the plant can function at even lower water levels in future years.

"It is in our common interest to avoid unplanned shutdowns and a system collapse," Magyar said.caliber