The drop in the level of the Danube River for the last 24 hours is between 1 and 3 centimeters, with the largest drop recorded in Ruse. There, minus 114 cm below the conditional zero elevation was registered, bTV reported.
If the level continues to drop by another 30 cm, there is a risk that the Kozloduy NPP will stop working, experts warn. The Ministry of Energy assures that preventive work is being done so that the plant does not stop.
In order to ensure an optimal amount of incoming water, the channels from the Danube River to the shore pumping station are being cleaned. The operation of the shore pumps is monitored, with the flow rate regulated by changing the angle of the working blades. If necessary, solutions are developed to improve and optimize the operation of the pumps.
The worst-case scenario has two stages, experts explain.
„The first critical level, so to speak, which is 12-13 cm lower — then the power reduction program from the plant should begin. If it drops by another 20 cm, then the plant should be shut down“, says Georgi Kaschiev, an energy expert.
However, Kaschiev, who was until recently in the management of the plant, does not expect the level to become critically low anytime soon.
„The forecasts are for a slight decrease, so in the next 2 weeks it is likely that not even the first limit will be reached“, says Georgi Kaschiev.
About 415 km from the „Kozloduy“ along the Danube River, Romania is considering shutting down the second unit of its Black Water nuclear power plant. This is expected to happen in two days, with another 3 cm separating the plant from the critical minimum water level for its normal operation.
“This includes procedures to ensure the safety of the equipment, which will last approximately 48 hours, after which the actual shutdown of Unit 2 will begin towards the end of this week. We expect the situation to continue for a longer period, as weather forecasts indicate that the difficult situation will persist until the end of August,“ says Cristian Busoi, State Secretary at the Romanian Ministry of Energy.
In Hungary, the situation with the river level is improving slightly. Thus, the local Paks nuclear power plant has been generating electricity since last night.