Romania Restarts 300 MW Coal Unit Amid Nuclear Shutdowns

Romania Restarts Coal-Fired Power Unit

Romania restarted the Rovinari Group 4 coal-fired power unit on August 17. This unit adds nearly 300 MW to the National Energy System. The move comes as the country faces the shutdown of both reactors at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, according to Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy. The reactors, each with a capacity of 680 MW, were taken offline due to low water levels in the Danube. This situation has limited the availability of cooling water.

Peak electricity demand was expected to reach nearly 7,000 MW on August 17. This increase is driven by high temperatures and more industrial activity. Bușoi stated that bringing the coal unit back online aims to strengthen supply during peak consumption. It also aims to reduce reliance on electricity imports. He noted, "Starting today, as we are talking about a week that is still expected to have high temperatures, and therefore electricity consumption… higher consumption, almost 7,000 megawatts, we estimate the peak for this evening."

Recent data showed that electricity demand during peak hours had been 200-300 MW below forecasts by Transelectrica. This decline was due to households and industrial consumers shifting their electricity use away from peak times. Large industrial consumers have also rescheduled maintenance and inspections to the end of August. Wind and solar generation provided support over the weekend, while electricity imports remained low. However, Bușoi highlighted that Romania's limited storage capacity restricts reliance on photovoltaic generation during evening peaks.

Related coverage: Dutch Coal Plants Increase Output Amid Belgian Demand Surge.

Based on reporting by: romania-insider.com