Unit 1 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant operated by Nuclearelectrica will enter the planned shutdown program starting June 20. For about 42 days, the Romanian production of electricity from nuclear sources will decline by half.

Usually, the planned shutdowns of nuclear units are carried out alternately, once every two years for each unit, in May-June, but in the conditions of international pandemic, as other nuclear power plants have done, the planned shutdown of the Unit 1 from Cernavoda was postponed. The decision was taken in order to guarantee the protection of the staff, “as a planned shutdown is a complex investment project taking into consideration the logistics and contracting structure, and the staff involved,” explained Nuclearelectrica in a press release.

About 700 MW in the national generation mix could create some space for CE Oltenia to increase its production. Since the beginning of the year, Nuclearelectrica’s 1,400 MW have covered between 16% of national consumption, in peak demand periods (January), and 31% of national consumption, in the days with the lowest demand (at the beginning of May). It is interesting to see whether these 700 MW will be covered by imports, by an increase in coal-based production or by additional generation from other sources, hydro and / or wind.