Romania to sink barges to keep Cernavodă Nuclear Plant operating VIDEO

Romania will sink four barges in the Danube near the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in an effort to raise the river's water level, which is critical for the safe operation of the facility, Digi24 reports.

The report said the barges, loaded with rocks, are scheduled to be sunk on Wednesday, August 5, as part of efforts to increase the water level near the plant.

Earlier engineering works, including blasting rock to alter the riverbed, succeeded in raising the water level by 2 centimetres.

Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruță previously said that every additional day of operation at the nuclear power plant was "financially three times more beneficial" than the cost of the measures.

One reactor at the Cernavodă plant has already been shut down, reducing Romania's electricity generation capacity by around 10%. A second reactor is now at risk of being taken offline.

Hungary's only nuclear power plant is also facing a similar threat. However, Prime Minister Péter Magyar claimed on Tuesday that the river level had risen by 1.5 centimetres.

Falling water levels in the Dniester River, combined with electricity supply concerns in neighbouring countries, have also increased the risk of power shortages in Moldova.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov