Romania's naval forces carried out a controlled explosion on the bed of the Danube River on Monday, August 3, to remove a rock blocking water flow toward the Cernavoda nuclear plant.
The operation is meant to allow construction of a temporary dam that would redirect more water into the channel supplying the plant. One of Cernavoda's two reactors has already been shut down for safety reasons, and authorities are now trying to keep the second one running.
Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said about 180 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. He said keeping the plant running for one extra day after Wednesday or Thursday would benefit the country, arguing the gains from a single additional day of power production are three times greater than the cost of the entire operation.
Cernavoda normally supplies about a fifth of Romania's electricity demand. Its reactors rely on Danube water for cooling, and when the river falls below safety thresholds, the units must cut output or be disconnected from the grid as a precaution rather than a malfunction.
National state of emergency declared
The government in Bucharest declared a nationwide state of emergency for all of August over falling energy production. Romania is increasing imports and holding talks with Ukraine, Greece and Bulgaria, though options are limited since neighboring countries face similar problems.
To ease strain on the grid, Dacia and Ford factories agreed to halt production until August 19, which Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said would cut power demand by about 200 megawatts. Authorities have also urged residents and businesses to conserve energy during peak hours.
Water shortages in Bihor County
In Bihor County in northwestern Romania, about 6,000 people receive water for only four hours a day, two in the morning and two in the evening. Residents fill bottles, buckets and pots during that window, and pressure drops sharply when supply resumes as thousands of households draw water at once.
Mircea Sabau, a representative of a local water utility, told Antena 3 CNN that supplies had run out and only enough water remained for two or three more days, with no way to draw more from the dried-up riverbed.
Low Danube water levels have also forced a temporary reduction at Hungary's Paks nuclear plant.
