Severe drought forces Romania to buy electricity from Ukraine

Romania's state-owned nuclear power producer, Nuclearelectrica, has begun importing electricity from Ukraine through Moldova's state-owned energy supplier Energocom to offset lost generation following the shutdown of Unit 1 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant.

The move comes as Romania grapples with reduced electricity production caused by historically low water levels in the Danube River, the result of prolonged severe drought, Romania-Insider reports.

Nuclearelectrica said the imported electricity would help cushion the impact of Unit 1's outage on the domestic power market. The company noted that the arrangement was made with the support of Energocom under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2023, aimed at strengthening energy resilience and mutual assistance between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

"The current difficult situation in Romania and across the region, caused by the extremely low water level of the Danube due to severe drought, requires long-term partnerships and strong commercial relations that allow for mutual support and the maintenance of the stability of the National Energy System," Nuclearelectrica said.

The energy emergency prompted Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to declare a nationwide state of alert for the month of August. The government has also introduced a package of measures designed to keep Unit 2 at the Cernavodă plant operational, increase electricity generation from alternative sources, and expand imports to safeguard the country's power supply.

Unit 1 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant was taken offline last week as a precaution after Danube water levels dropped to exceptionally low levels. While Nuclearelectrica had warned that Unit 2 might also have to be disconnected if conditions worsened, the company announced on July 30 that an overnight technical assessment had concluded the reactor could continue operating safely.

"The operation of Units 1 and 2 of Cernavodă NPP is carried out based on strict monitoring of operating parameters and safety margins, as well as on procedures specific to drought conditions; thus, as long as the analysis of these parameters allows the operation in compliance with all nuclear safety norms, Unit 2 will remain connected to the National Energy System," the company said.

At the same time, Nuclearelectrica cautioned that Unit 2 could still be shut down at short notice should Danube water levels continue to fall and begin affecting the plant's operating conditions.

Meanwhile, Romania's National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) said Danube flows are expected to remain exceptionally low in the coming days. Water discharge at the Baziaș entry point is forecast to decline to around 1,450 cubic metres per second by August 6, well below the long-term averages of 4,700 cubic metres per second for July and 3,900 cubic metres per second for August.

According to the institute, river flows are expected to remain near those levels until August 10–12 before gradually increasing later in the month, although it warned that medium- and long-term forecasts remain highly uncertain given the ongoing severe drought.

By Vafa Guliyeva