“Unit 1 will be shut down in a controlled manner due to the very low, unprecedented water level of the Danube caused by severe drought, in accordance with the plant’s procedures applicable in situations of severe drought,” Nuclearelectrica said in a statement filed with the Bucharest Stock Exchange on July 27.
The shutdown is a precautionary measure to safeguard nuclear safety and the reliability of the plant’s facilities, based on the latest forecasts issued by Romania’s National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, the company said.
Nuclearelectrica added that it is closely monitoring the evolution of the Danube’s water level and warned that if the current situation does not change, Cernavoda NPP experts could decide to shut down the plant’s Unit 2 as well.
Cernavoda, Romania’s sole NPP, has two units with installed capacity of 700 MW each. The plant generates roughly a fifth of the country’s electricity output. Unit 1 was commissioned in 1996, while Unit 2 began commercial operations in 2007, according to Nuclearelectrica’s corporate website. Earlier July, the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved a EUR800 million loan for the refurbishment of Unit 1 of the NPP.
Nuclearelectrica’s net profit jumped by 72.8% year-on-year to RON887.8 million (EUR169.7 million) in the first three months of 2026.
The Romanian state, through the ministry of energy, owns an 82.498% stake in Nuclearelectrica, while the remainder is in free float on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.