BUCHAREST TO SHUT DOWN ONE REACTOR DUE TO LOW DANUBE WATER LEVELS

BUCHAREST, JULY 27 /SRNA-Reuters/ - Romania will shut down one of its two nuclear reactors on the Danube River to prevent damage to the cooling system, as water levels have fallen to their lowest point in three decades, the Ministry of Energy said.

The Ministry said that peak electricity consumption this week was estimated at 7,300 megawatts, while domestic production was expected to reach up to 4,300 megawatts, with the shortfall to be covered through imports. The state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica operates two 706-megawatt reactors, which account for roughly one-fifth of Romania's electricity generation.