Extreme heat and drought are disrupting nuclear power plant operations across Europe, with the Danube River reaching critically low levels and Romania warning it may be forced to shut down its last remaining operational reactor. Governments are implementing special measures to secure energy supplies.
A severe heatwave and drought are impacting multiple European nuclear power plants. The Danube River's water levels are dropping, prompting Romania to issue a warning about potentially closing its final operational reactor. Several governments are taking extraordinary steps to protect energy supplies. Triodos Bank estimates that the disruptions caused by the extreme heat could cost the European Union 180 billion euros ($207.7 billion), roughly 1% of the EU's GDP.
On August 4, 2026, in Constanta, Romania, the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant faces a shutdown risk for its two operational reactors due to a sharp decline in the Danube River's flow. As Romania's only nuclear facility, it generates approximately 20% of the nation's electricity. The scorching and unusually dry summer is disrupting nuclear plant operations, pushing governments to adopt emergency measures to maintain power supply.
Romania's state-owned nuclear company, Nuclearelectrica, has warned that due to the continuous drop in water levels of the 1,770-mile-long Danube River, it may have to shut down the country's last remaining operational reactor by Thursday of this week. In response, Romania declared an energy emergency for August and has implemented unprecedented measures, including dredging river channels and deploying rock-filled barges.
Last week, the Romanian Navy conducted controlled underwater blasts in the riverbed to increase the water flow into the cooling system of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant. The plant, operated by Nuclearelectrica, is Romania's only active nuclear facility, with two reactors that normally supply about one-fifth of the country's electricity.
Hungary has received a brief respite. Rainfall has raised the Danube's water levels, allowing the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to restart an additional turbine unit. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on social media on Monday that two of the plant's eight turbine units have resumed power generation. This plant supplies nearly half of Hungary's electricity.
France, which relies on nuclear power for about 70% of its electricity, is also affected. EDF (Electricite de France) stated on Wednesday that several reactors have reduced their output due to environmental conditions. Earlier this week, the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France shut down three reactors after an "influx of jellyfish" triggered an automatic protection mechanism. This marks the second consecutive year that a large jellyfish bloom has caused reactor shutdowns at this major French plant. Reports indicate that the combined effects of persistent extreme heat, wildfires, and drought have led to a record number of nuclear plant shutdowns in France this summer.
Most nuclear power plants are built near rivers or seas to use nearby water sources for reactor cooling. European countries are exploring various solutions to mitigate the vulnerability of nuclear power to heatwaves and low water levels, such as installing or upgrading cooling systems or scheduling equipment maintenance to avoid periods of extreme heat.
"Action to address this crisis is already behind schedule." British Prime Minister Andy Burnham convened a meeting of the government's emergency committee (COBRA) on Wednesday to discuss the extreme heat, wildfires, and drought. This is the second time the UK has activated a COBRA meeting due to a heatwave this year. The country is expected to see temperatures reach 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday.
Gareth Redmond-King, head of the International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said on the European Financial Forum program, "Many people will think that classifying this as a major emergency only now is already late." He added, "The extreme heat, cascading impacts like wildfires and river droughts, all show that the climate system is in crisis. This problem will not simply disappear." Redmond-King further stated, "If humanity continues to burn fossil fuels, emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, pushing temperatures higher, the climate crisis will intensify, and what we are seeing this summer will only get worse."
The extreme weather this summer in Europe is impacting more than just energy infrastructure; its cascading effects are likely to drag down economic growth. An analysis released on August 8 by Triodos Bank in the Netherlands suggests that the negative impacts of the heatwave could cause 180 billion euros in economic losses, primarily driven by a decline in labor productivity.
On August 10, 2026, in Kaub, Germany, a cargo ship navigates with difficulty on the Rhine River, where water levels are low and the riverbed is exposed. The low water levels on the Rhine have already disrupted the transport of raw materials to the ThyssenKrupp plant in Duisburg. The estimated loss is roughly equivalent to 1% of the EU's Gross Domestic Product, which is nearly equal to the market-expected economic growth rate for all 27 EU member states this year. In its report, Triodos Bank noted that the main channels through which heatwaves impact the EU's GDP include reduced agricultural output raising food prices, constrained energy production increasing electricity costs, hindered shipping raising logistics expenses, and decreased labor productivity.