Romania's Nuclear Reactor Shut Down Due to Technical Fault

The operator of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, Romania's only nuclear facility, announced on Thursday, April 9, that one of its reactors was automatically shut down due to a fault in the power supply system. According to the state-owned company "Nuclear Electrica," which operates the nuclear plant, experts are investigating the cause of the incident, but "there is no danger to employees, local residents, or the environment." On Sunday, production at the plant had been reduced to about half due to the replacement of a pump motor part, but it returned to maximum operation on Tuesday, and the operator stated that it was unrelated to Thursday's shutdown. The Cernavodă nuclear power plant, located in southeastern Romania, has two reactors and produces 706 megawatts of electricity, supplying about 20% of the country's power. The first reactor began operation in 1996, and the second reactor started in 2007. Anton Anton, Romania's Minister of Energy, recently stated that instead of building new reactors, it would be better to refurbish the existing two reactors. Reactor number one, which is 20 years old, is set to be decommissioned in the next five years. According to Nuclear Electrica, refurbishing this reactor would extend its lifespan by another 30 years and would cost 40% less than building a new reactor. The Minister of Energy also mentioned that negotiations are ongoing regarding the construction of reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă plant.