Romania Imports Cover Nearly Half of Demand After Cernavoda Reactor Shutdown

Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant Unit 1 was disconnected from the national power system on the evening of November 9, 2026, after a fault occurred on the conventional side of the reactor. The company stated that the incident had no impact on nuclear safety and that specialists were working continuously to repair the situation and restart the unit as soon as possible.

As a result of the shutdown, energy imports increased substantially. On Tuesday morning at 06:48, instantaneous imports reached 3,100 megawatts, covering nearly half of the hour's consumption of 6,780 megawatts. Domestic production stood at 3,680 megawatts, divided among gas-fired plants, hydroelectric plants, and coal-fired plants.

“Starting December 1, 2026, the technical director of CNE Cernavoda will be replaced. The root cause will be the subject of a subsequent report.”

Wind production was only 200 megawatts at the mentioned time, while solar parks consumed 12 megawatts and produced nothing. The average energy price for Tuesday was 411 euros per megawatt-hour, with peaks exceeding 3,000 lei per megawatt-hour between 14:00 and 16:00.

Regional context was also unfavorable, with energy price explosions across Europe, especially in Eastern Europe. Poland recorded 460 euros per megawatt-hour and Lithuania 423 euros per megawatt-hour, while Germany and France recorded 350 and 300 euros per megawatt-hour respectively.

Nuclearelectrica announced that measures would be taken at the level of the plant's technical management, and the technical director would be replaced starting December 1, 2026. The root cause will be the subject of a subsequent report.

The company's general director, Mihai Laurentiu Gioara, communicated the decision through a stock exchange announcement. Specialists are currently conducting specific evaluations and implementing remediation plans for reconnection to the national system in the shortest possible time.