Drought Forces Romania to Divert Danube Water to Nuclear Plant

WHO:

The Guardian - Romanian naval forces conducted a controlled explosion.

The Guardian - Romania’s defence minister is Radu Miruțǎ.

CNN - Hungary’s Prime Minister is Péter Magyar.

The Guardian - Serbia’s Prime Minister is Djuro Macut.

CNN - Francesco Sassi is an assistant professor at the University of Oslo specializing in energy security.

WHAT:

The Guardian - A controlled explosion used 180kg of explosives to redirect water from the Danube to Romania’s Cernavodǎ nuclear plant.

The Guardian - Romania declared a nationwide state of emergency throughout August due to a decline in electricity production.

CNN - Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant is at risk of shutdown for the first time in 44 years.

The Guardian - Hungary’s nuclear plant is operating at less than half its capacity.

The Guardian - Hungary’s Prime Minister stated that the plant could be fully shut down next week.

The Guardian - Voluntary power usage cuts reduced demand by 700MW in Hungary.

The Guardian - Serbia’s hydroelectric plant is operating at only 20% capacity.

WHERE:

The Guardian - The Danube River, which passes through 10 countries, including Romania and Hungary.

The Guardian - Romania’s Cernavodǎ nuclear plant.

CNN - Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

The Guardian - Ryahovo, a village in northern Bulgaria, where prehistoric bones were discovered.

WHEN:

The Guardian - The controlled explosion occurred on a Monday.

The Guardian - Hungary’s Prime Minister indicated the plant could shut down as early as Sunday, but later said it could operate until Monday or Tuesday.

The Guardian - The expected full shutdown of Hungary’s nuclear plant is anticipated for next week.

WHY:

The Guardian - Record-low water levels in the Danube have led to the shutdown of nuclear reactors in Hungary and Romania.

CNN - The energy crisis is exacerbated by extreme heatwaves affecting Europe.

HOW:

The Guardian - Controlled explosions were used to move a large rock restricting water flow in the Danube.

The Guardian - Authorities plan to build a temporary dam to divert more water into the channel serving Cernavodǎ’s remaining reactor.

(UPDATED August 3, 2026 20:36 UTC)

Romanian naval forces have conducted a controlled explosion using 180 kilograms of explosives to redirect water from the Danube River to the Cernavodǎ nuclear plant, as the country faces a nationwide state of emergency throughout August due to declining electricity production. Meanwhile, Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant is at risk of shutdown for the first time in 44 years, with Prime Minister Péter Magyar warning that it could be fully shut down as early as next week, while Serbia's hydroelectric plant is operating at only 20% capacity. The energy crisis is being exacerbated by extreme heatwaves across Europe, leading to record-low water levels in the Danube that have already forced the shutdown of nuclear reactors in both Hungary and Romania.