With the Cernavodă nuclear plant offline since mid-summer, Romania is covering part of its electricity shortfall through imports. Energy minister Dumitru Chisăliță said the first reactor could restart around 15 November 2026, subject to the Danube’s evolution, according to Puterea.ro.

The plant normally supplies about a fifth of Romania’s electricity. Both units remain shut because low river levels affect cooling-water supply. The mid-November estimate rests on current data and rising flows over the past two weeks; it is not a restart already completed.

“I would like it to start working today, but that is not possible,” Chisăliță told Digi24, as quoted by Puterea. Any change in forecasts could move the date: the reactor might start earlier, or the timeline could slip by 7–10 days or more.

Unit 1 was taken offline in a controlled shutdown on 28 July 2026, and Unit 2 on 13 August. Drought also cut hydropower output in the same period, so the system made up the gap from other domestic sources and from imported power, with greater strain at peak hours.

On 10 October the Danube at Cernavodă stood at minus 259 cm, close to the operational threshold of minus 262 cm. Nuclearelectrica said on 11 October that both units are kept in a safe shutdown state with no nuclear-safety risk, and will restart only when river levels allow a fully safe return. The situation affects electricity production only, the operator said.

Source: Fără Cernavodă, România importă energie | Puterea.ro