Romania Extends Reactor Output by Nine Days After Danube Blasts
(Bloomberg) -- Romania can keep the second nuclear reactor at its Cernavoda plant in operation for at least nine more days after explosive works on the Danube led to an increase in the flow of the river by 4cm (1.6 inches).
The Black Sea country last week took unprecedented measures to boost water flows toward its only atomic power plant, blasting a rock formation and sinking four barges filled with rocks to deviate the Danube’s flow and secure enough water for cooling the reactors.
“This morning was the first measurement after the barges were sunk in the Danube and some underwater sills were dredged: after the water level had fallen by 3cm yesterday, this morning, at Cernavoda, the water level had risen by 4cm over the previous 24 hours,” interim Defense and Transport Minister Radu Miruta said in a statement.
“Based on the current forecast, this will allow us to keep Unit 2 operating for at least another nine days,” Miruta said.
Romania introduced a state of alert in the energy sector throughout August as power production declines substantially because of the drought and record-low water levels in the Danube, which have also affected nuclear power output upstream in Hungary.
Romania relies on a mix of power sources, including solar, wind and nuclear. The decline in atomic power output has prompted the government to ask companies and citizens to lower consumption, with the nation’s two largest car producers — Renault SA’s Dacia and Ford Otosan — halting production until late August.
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