Nuclearelectrica has begun restart operations for Cernavodă Unit 1, an important operational development after the plant was fully offline from August. But the announcement does not yet establish a full recovery: the company estimates grid resynchronization for 6 November, while Unit 2 still depends on a sustained rise in the Danube level.
On 4 November, the company said the minimum conditions required to start Unit 1 safely had been met. It estimated that the unit would resynchronize with Romania’s National Energy System on Friday, 6 November. This is a material change from the preceding shutdown, but it describes restart work under way and an estimated date, rather than a completed reconnection or demonstrated stable operation.
The distinction matters because Cernavodă normally supplies about 20% of Romania’s electricity production, according to HotNews. Unit 1 was shut down in a controlled manner on 28 July, while Unit 2 was gradually disconnected on 13 August, bringing the plant fully offline amid low Danube flows, Digi24 reported. Nuclearelectrica says operating Unit 1 requires large volumes of cooling water and will lower the intake-basin level. It says Unit 2 can restart only after a sustained increase in the Danube level.
Digi24 reported that Danube flow at Romania’s entry point at Baziaș was 1,700 cubic metres per second on the morning of 4 November, rising but below the November multiannual average of 4,700 cubic metres per second. That comparison does not itself establish an operating threshold for the plant, which the supplied reports do not provide. It does show why the restart of one unit alone cannot be treated as proof that the water constraint has disappeared.
Nuclearelectrica is right to follow strict nuclear-safety procedures before the estimated date. Editorially, the company should explain whether Unit 1 was resynchronized as planned, what information it can publish about its subsequent operating status, and how it assesses conditions for Unit 2, within limits needed for nuclear security. This is a call for transparency, not a claim that the operator has already promised those disclosures.
The next concrete development is whether Cernavodă Unit 1 is confirmed as resynchronized on 6 November, and whether documented updates clarify the conditions for restarting Unit 2.
Sources
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-04