Romania hopes to delay nuclear plant shutdown after diverting Danube waters

After the Romanian Naval Forces detonated a massive block of stone that was obstructing Danube water flowing towards one of its arms (Old Danube) supplying Cernavoda nuclear power plant (NPP), the company’s management and the public water management company Apele Romane expect one of the two nuclear reactors would remain online several days more than the four to five expected if the water level drops at current rate.

At the current decreasing rate of 2-3 cm per day, the Danube level close to Cernavoda NPP would have reached the minimum safe level for the functioning of the nuke within 4-5 days, according to prior official estimates cited by Mediafax. By diverting more water toward the Old Danube arm following the detonation of the rock, the Danube level close to Cernavoda would increase by 6-7 cm, enough to keep the reactor at least two more days in operation.

Several hours after the detonation (video below), the authorities announced that the water level at Cernavoda had stabilised. This can’t, however, be a permanent effect and the water will eventually keep decreasing, hopefully at a slower rate.

Sinking ships loaded with rocks on another Danube arm on August 4 is an operation aimed at the same purpose of diverting more water towards Cernavoda NPP.

One reactor at Cernavoda NPP delivers some 680 MW, roughly one-tenth of the peak electricity consumption in Romania and slightly more than one-tenth during the sunny hours when the solar panels generate around 2,500 MW, producing excess electricity that is exported.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Călin)