Romania to reconnect one of its two nuclear power reactors on November 6

Romanian ​nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica will reconnect ​one of its two reactors ‌to the ​national grid on November 6, it said on Wednesday, bolstering power supply after months of drought and costly ‌imports.

The state-owned company operates two 706 megawatt reactors at Cernavoda on the Danube, which it uses for cooling. Together, they account for about a fifth of Romania's ‌power output. Danube water levels at record lows forced the shutdown of the ‌reactors in late July and early August respectively.

The first unit will be back at full capacity by November 7, Nuclearelectrica said. "Reconnecting Unit 2 depends on a sustained increase in Danube levels," ⁠it ​added. "Once these conditions ⁠are met, Unit 2 will be able to be reconnected."

Romania has extended a state of energy ⁠emergency through November, allowing it to cut power to industrial consumers in stages. It said ​in late October that it expected both reactors to remain offline throughout ⁠November. Europe has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, wreaking havoc on power production, ⁠shipping ​and public health systems.

Romania has relied on renewable power and costly imports to help to offset the electricity shortfall and also reopened some lignite-fired ⁠power capacity. Nuclearelectrica aims to add two more 700 MW reactors at its Cernavoda plant ⁠using the ⁠same technology by 2031 and 2032 respectively. However, the government must perform works on the Danube river branch where the plant ‌sits to ‌prevent future drought-induced closures.