Across central Europe, a summer of record heat has drawn the Danube down to levels rarely seen, and the rivers that once powered the region's cities now ask for a kind of careful rationing. In Romania, sailors have blasted rock from a canal bed so that a nuclear plant can keep drinking the water it needs, while in Serbia and Hungary, engineers and ministers are quietly deciding how much light their citizens can afford to have. It is a reminder, in a time of ever-hotter summers, that a nation's energy is never only a matter of machines, but of rainfall far upstream, and of a river that no gover
Record-low Danube forces Romania, Serbia and Hungary into emergency energy measures during heatwave
Paks would be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years
Mark
Three countries, one river. Why is the Danube suddenly an energy story?
Mimi
Because nuclear and hydro plants along it depend on its flow. Cernavodă needs enough water to run safely, and Serbia's big Djerdap dams need water to generate. When the river drops, output drops.
Mark
The Romanian navy used a controlled explosion. That's striking.
Mimi
It was an effort to clear rock near the Bala Canal so the plant can keep getting the flow it needs. It came after one reactor unit had already been shut down.
Luke
Worth flagging that the 1,500 cubic meters per second figure is described as reportedly the flow. It isn't independently confirmed in what we have, and we don't know how that compares with the plant's required minimum.
Mark
And Serbia?
Mimi
Djerdap I and II supply about 18% of its electricity and are running at 20% and 30% of capacity, according to Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović.
Luke
That comes from the minister speaking to local media. We don't have details on how Serbia is covering the shortfall.
Mark
Hungary sounded closest to a full shutdown.
Mimi
Prime Minister Magyar said Paks would be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years. By Monday he said forecasts were slightly more optimistic and the last turbine was still running.
Luke
Note the wording: slightly more optimistic, stable since morning. That's a pause, not a recovery. Nothing here says how long the drought lasts or whether Cernavodă's second reactor is safe.
Le Pouls
- Romania's navy blasted rock at the Bala Canal to keep water moving toward the Cernavodă nuclear plant, one reactor already offline.
- Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan urged households to cut electricity use during peak evening hours, warning a second reactor could follow.
- Serbia throttled its Djerdap I and II hydro plants, which supply roughly 18% of national power, now running at 20% and 30% capacity.
- Hungary's Paks plant was days from full shutdown for the first time in 44 years, until a slightly improved forecast steadied the Danube.
Across central Europe, a summer of record heat has drawn the Danube down to levels rarely seen, and the rivers that once powered the region's cities now ask for a kind of careful rationing. In Romania, sailors have blasted rock from a canal bed so that a nuclear plant can keep drinking the water it needs, while in Serbia and Hungary, engineers and ministers are quietly deciding how much light their citizens can afford to have. It is a reminder, in a time of ever-hotter summers, that a nation's energy is never only a matter of machines, but of rainfall far upstream, and of a river that no government can order to flow faster.
On the Bala Canal in Romania, the navy set off a controlled blast to clear rock from the riverbed. The goal was simple and urgent: keep enough water flowing to the Cernavodă nuclear plant, which needs a minimum flow to run safely. One of its reactors had already been shut down, and the blast was one of several emergency steps taken across central Europe as a record drought, and yet another heatwave, pushed the Danube to historic lows.
Romania's flow has reportedly fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second. Since Friday, its energy sector has been on alert, and acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has asked residents to cut electricity use during the evening peak. He warned that the second reactor at Cernavodă could also go offline, which would leave the plant with no remaining output.
In Serbia, the government has reduced generation at its largest hydro plants, Djerdap I and II, which together supply about 18% of the country's electricity. Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović said they are now running at 20% and 30% of capacity.
Hungary came closest to losing its power source entirely. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that Paks, the country's only nuclear station, would be cut to 240 megawatts and then fully shut down. On Monday, he offered a more hopeful note: forecasts had improved slightly, and the river had held steady, with one turbine still generating.
The situation remains fragile. Whether the river stabilizes will decide whether Romania keeps its second reactor running, whether Serbia can restore its hydro output, and whether Hungary's last turbine keeps turning through the heat.
On the Danube's Bala Canal in Romania, the navy set off a controlled explosion to clear rock from the riverbed. The aim was to keep enough water moving to the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, which needs a minimum flow to operate safely. Authorities had already shut down one of its reactor units.
The blast is one of several emergency steps taken across central Europe, where a drought has pushed the Danube to record-low levels. It comes during yet another heatwave on the continent. Romania's flow has reportedly fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second, and governments in three countries are now managing power supply around a river that is running short.
Romania's energy sector has been on alert since Friday. That day, acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan asked residents to voluntarily cut their electricity use during the peak evening hours. He also warned that the low river could force the shutdown of the second reactor at Cernavodă, which would remove the plant's remaining output.
In Serbia, the government has chosen to reduce generation at some hydroelectric plants. The two largest, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, together provide about 18% of the country's electricity. Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović told local media that they are now running at 20% and 30% of their respective capacities.
Hungary has come closest to losing a major source of power altogether. On Sunday, shortly after midnight, Prime Minister Péter Magyar wrote on X that because the Danube had dropped further, one of the last two generating units at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant would be shut down at 1:30 a.m. That would cut the plant's output to just 240 megawatts. He added that the following day it would be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years. Paks is Hungary's only nuclear power station.
On Monday, Magyar gave a somewhat more hopeful report. He said water management forecasts for the coming days had become slightly more optimistic, and that the Danube's level had held steady since the morning at both Paks and Budapest. He also noted that the last turbine at Paks continues to generate power.
The situation remains fragile. Whether the river stabilizes will decide if Romania keeps its second reactor online, if Serbia can lift its restrictions on the Djerdap plants, and if Hungary's last turbine at Paks keeps running while the heatwave and drought continue.
Citations marquantes
The Danube's water level has remained stable since this morning at both Paks and Budapest. The last turbine at Paks continues to generate power.— Péter Magyar, Hungarian Prime Minister
The Danube's low level could lead to the shutdown of the second reactor at Cernavodă (paraphrased).— Ilie Bolojan, acting Romanian Prime Minister
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