How Drought Threatens Europe's Electricity Supplies
Romania’s navy blasted a rock outcrop to redirect cooling water to the Cernavoda plant as low Danube levels strain power supplies.
- Europe's major rivers, including the Danube and Rhine, are reaching record-low water levels amid an unprecedented summer of extreme heatwaves. The Danube flows through 10 countries and serves as a major trade route, yet falling levels now threaten critical infrastructure and energy generation.
- "Major rivers like the Rhine and Danube are critical trade corridors and sources of water for industry and energy generation," Liz Saccoccia, water security lead at the World Resources Institute, told CNBC. Regional temperatures are forecast at 82.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 8 degrees above historical norms.
- Falling water levels are exposing WWII-era warships and ancient relics, while the drought is forcing reactor shutdowns in Romania and Hungary. Voluntary electricity reductions by more than 300 companies and households in Hungary are easing grid pressure amid the energy crisis.
- On Monday, the Romanian navy conducted a controlled explosion near Izvoarele to clear a rock outcrop. This action enables construction of a temporary dam to divert cooling water to the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, addressing critical supply shortages.
- "As the climate continues to warm, the hydrological extremes we are now experiencing will only be the tip of the iceberg," Richard Allan, climate science professor at the University of Reading, told CNN. Managing water resources will become progressively more challenging.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Historical droughts, heat records and sinking water levels on the Danube hit Central and Southeast Europe hard. Hungary and Romania are slipping into the energy crisis. Other countries are better prepared - especially Bulgaria.
How Drought Threatens Electricity Supplies in Europe
Riverbeds reduced to tiny streams, asphalt melting like butter, dried-up fields — these are currently the images of drought in Central and Southeastern Europe. The record-breaking lack of rainfall in recent months and this summer's heatwaves have caused severe
On Thursday, the Danube recorded a new historical minimum level of 1,400 mc/s, which will remain stationary until 12 August, said, on Tuesday, the spokesman of the National Administration "Roman Waters (ANAR), Ana-Maria Agiu.
The flow has reached historical minimum water levels and interrupts the crossing of boats
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