Ukraine has begun selling electricity to Romania, which requires additional supplies to cover a shortfall in generation. This was reported by the Romanian state-owned company Nuclearelectrica. The shortfall has arisen against a backdrop of severe drought and large-scale restrictions on operations at the Cernavodă nuclear power station, which uses water from the Danube in its production process.
Briefly about the main points
- Ukraine has commenced regular commercial electricity sales to Romania.
- Romania has faced a power generation shortfall due to a severe drought.
- One unit at the Cernavodă nuclear power station has been shut down due to low water levels in the Danube.
- The Romanian authorities plan to make up for the shortfall in electricity through imports.
Romania plans to make up for the shortfall in electricity generation through imports
Romania’s Nuclearelectrica has announced the start of sales of Ukrainian electricity to the Romanian market. The supplies are taking place at a time when the country is seeking additional resources for its power system.
According to estimates by the Romanian authorities, demand could have reached around 7,300 MW during peak hours this week, whilst domestic generation was expected to be in the range of 4,000–4,300 MW. The plan was to make up the shortfall through imports.
Ukraine already has experience of commercial electricity supplies to the EU via the Romanian interconnector: such exports began in July 2022. The current sales are taking place under different market conditions — against the backdrop of a shortage in a neighbouring country.
The drought has restricted operations at Romania’s only nuclear power station
On 27 July, Nuclearelectrica announced the controlled shutdown of the first power unit at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Station, to take place from the morning of 28 July. The company attributed the decision to the unprecedentedly low water level of the Danube caused by the drought, and emphasised that it had acted in accordance with nuclear safety procedures.
On 29 July, the operator also announced a possible controlled shutdown of the second unit — depending on whether water levels continue to fall. According to the Associated Press on 3 August, the Danube’s flow rate in Romania stood at around 1,500 cubic metres per second, which is less than a third of the July average. The plant was operating at approximately half its usual capacity.
Cernavodă is Romania’s only nuclear power station, and its two reactors provide approximately one-fifth of the country’s electricity. This is why the reduction in its output has rapidly increased the need for imports.
Regional drought is intensifying competition for resources
Low water levels in the Danube This affects more than just Romania. On 3 August, the Romanian military carried out a controlled blast of underwater rocks near the Bala Canal to increase the flow of water into the main river channel and towards the nuclear power station.
Generation issues have also been reported in neighbouring countries: in Hungary, the Paks nuclear power station was generating 240 MW that day instead of its usual 2,000 MW, whilst Serbia reported that a key hydroelectric power station was operating at 20% of capacity. This could reduce the available supply on the regional market and intensify competition for cross-border power flows.
Current supplies from Ukraine illustrate how the synchronisation of the Ukrainian power system with continental Europe enables the commercial exchange of energy during periods of local shortages. At the same time, Ukrainian exports should not be viewed as a standalone solution to Romania’s problem: the shortfall estimated by Romania is measured in gigawatts.
