A navigation project promises cooling water for Cernavodă

BALA II, a navigation and environmental project at the Bala junction, proposes works to send more water towards Cernavodă. The river authority, AFDJ, lists cooling four reactors as an indirect benefit. Follow the route and see who can intervene.

An intended benefit stated by AFDJ, including for future Units 3 and 4. The effect of the works remains to be verified. AFDJ · BALA IIS02

See the proposed Bala works
the route to the plantsimplified diagram
  1. 01Danube
  2. 02Bala
  3. 03Old Danube
  4. 04canal
  5. 05Cernavodă
At Bala, water divides between branches. This diagram follows the Old Danube route to the plant and is not to geographic scale.
2013 environmental agreement15-20%of the Silistra flow reaches the Old Danube at low water, according to the 2013 environmental agreement
primary documentS01

Where the cooling water comes from

Open the stops to explore the works, responsibilities and sources. Start at Bala, where proposed works would change how water divides between Danube branches.

Bala redistributes the waterThe records follow sills, branches, canals, pumps, permits and operating decisions. No single actor controls the whole route.
waterlinedocument detail
  1. Silistrathe Danube flow measurement primary documentS01
  2. Bala bifurcationthe bifurcation that redistributes water
    Source for this explanationprimary documentS02

    What changes physically

    A bed sill and a restored branch can change how water is redistributed between the Bala branch and the Old Danube.

    Who can decide

    BALA II lists the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure as owner and AFDJ Galați as beneficiary.

    The link to cooling

    The same intervention is described through effects on navigation, sturgeon migration, wetlands and cooling flow.

  3. Old Danube15-20% at low water in the environmental agreement
    Source for this explanationprimary documentS01

    What changes physically

    The environmental agreement says that, at low water, the branch downstream of Bala receives only 15-20% of the flow measured at Silistra.

    Who can decide

    The water regime depends on hydraulic works, permits and waterway administration, rather than on the plant operator alone.

    The link to cooling

    The water enters the route that feeds the Danube-Black Sea Canal and then the Cernavodă cooling systems.

  4. Intake routethe route towards the plant basin
    Source for this explanationprimary documentS01

    What changes physically

    Water is taken from the Danube, passes through the first reach of the Danube-Black Sea Canal and the diversion channel to the plant.

    Who can decide

    The environmental agreement lists the intake, intake canal and distribution basin among the shared U1-U4 assets.

    The link to cooling

    The designed flow for Units 3 and 4 is 108 m³/s on a maximum day and 79.44 m³/s on an average day.

  5. Cernavodăopen cooling circuits
    Source for this explanationreported sourceS05

    What changes physically

    At the plant, Danube water cools open circuits and returns to the Danube through the infrastructure described in the agreement.

    Who can decide

    Nuclearelectrica operates the plant and makes operating decisions. During drought, the operator can shut units down in a controlled way.

    The link to cooling

    A controlled shutdown protects the installation, but reduces available output and moves water dependence into energy policy.

Why does energy appear inside a navigation project?

AFDJ presents BALA II as a navigation and environmental-protection project. The proposed works include a restored and renaturalised branch, raising the bed sill from 0 to 6.5 m MNC and dredging on the Old Danube.

AFDJ lists water transport, sturgeon migration, wetlands and ecological flow among the main benefits. It then mentions the minimum flow for cooling four reactors and gives an assurance of more than 97%.

recorded owner
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
primary documentS03
beneficiary
AFDJ Galați
primary documentS02
key works
restored branch, bed sill, dredging
primary documentS02

When the Danube fell, operating decisions followed

In summer 2026, low Danube levels led to shutdowns and interventions to supply the plant. The chronology through 10 September distinguishes announced measures, reported works and restart estimates.

  1. documentedprimary documentS06

    Unit 2 stayed temporarily connected

    Nuclearelectrica said operation continued under monitored parameters and drought procedures.

  2. operator reportreported sourceS05

    Unit 2 entered a controlled shutdown

    The operator linked the decision to the continued fall in the Danube level and said the safe shutdown did not affect nuclear-safety parameters.

  3. official actofficial record indicatedS07

    The government created an interministerial committee

    The prime minister's decision indicated in the Official Gazette asks for solutions for water supply needed to cool current and future reactors.

  4. reportedreported sourceS08

    Dredging and releases move into operation

    Additional releases from Olt reservoirs have begun, and Apele Române had announced construction of a transverse guide groyne on the Old Danube, alongside the dredging works and high-capacity pumps brought by DSU. RRA attributes the strategy change to the initial stone-barge intervention not producing the expected results.

  5. reportedreported sourceS11

    A two-to-three-week horizon appears

    Both units remain offline. Nicușor Dan says that, according to hydrologists' estimates, it may take another two to three weeks before water levels allow at least one reactor to restart. This is an estimate relayed by the president, not a technical schedule published by Nuclearelectrica or INHGA.

  6. reported / forecastreported sourceS13 primary documentS15

    Dredging continues; the groyne is being redesigned

    Three dredging machines are working at several points. The Government says dredging continues, while Romanian Waters specialists say the guide-groyne works have not started: the groyne position changed from the initial proposal and other options are being considered. INHGA reports 1,600 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a slight fall towards 1,450 m³/s by 7 September.

  7. forecast / statementprimary documentS16 primary documentS17 reported sourceS18 reported sourceS19

    The hydrological outlook worsens

    INHGA reports 1,550 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a slight fall to 1,400 m³/s by 9 September. Its monthly forecast estimates a September mean of 1,500 m³/s against a multiyear mean of 3,800 m³/s. Cristian Bușoi, state secretary at the Energy Ministry, says there are no conditions to reopen the plant before 10 September. That date is a historical review reference, not a Nuclearelectrica technical schedule.

  8. official actofficial record indicatedS20

    CNSU approves a staged plan for the CNE intake

    CNSU adopts a temporary, modular, staged and reversible plan published in Official Gazette no. 741. If the water level in the CNE intake basin reaches 1.58 m, the first stage uses ships or barges along about 600 m to redirect flow; it is followed by a modular closure of about 170 m with pontoons and hydrobarriers, then, if needed, high-capacity pumps operated by Apele Române and Nuclearelectrica. A temporary stone barrier remains in reserve. The Government forecasts another fall in flow from 10 September.

  9. bulletin / statementprimary documentS21 reported sourceS22

    The reopening horizon moves further away

    INHGA measures 1,500 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts 1,450 m³/s for 4 September, below the September multiyear mean of 3,800 m³/s. Cristian Bușoi says the ten-day forecast does not show a sustained increase and that there are no conditions to discuss reopening the units during that interval. This is an Energy Ministry assessment, not a Nuclearelectrica technical schedule.

  10. bulletin / forecastprimary documentS23

    The forecast falls to 1,300 m³/s

    INHGA measures 1,400 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a fall to 1,300 m³/s over the next five days, followed by stationarity through 14 September. Flows on the Cernavodă-Hârșova sector were stationary in the observed interval. This is a hydrological forecast, not a technical restart schedule.

  11. bulletin / assessmentprimary documentS24 reported sourceS25

    The flow falls again and the horizon moves towards month-end

    INHGA measures 1,350 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a fall to 1,250 m³/s before a modest recovery. On the same day, interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan says the restart could be seriously considered only towards the end of September and that production would return to the system in October. This is a government assessment, not a Nuclearelectrica technical schedule.

  12. official act / forecastprimary documentS26

    The alert is extended to 28 October

    CNSU extends the state of alert for 29 September–28 October. Its decision forecasts a median 1,185–1,200 m³/s at Baziaș around 10–13 October and identifies a probable Cernavodă risk window on 15–22 October. This is a risk forecast, not a restart date.

No single institution controls the route

The institutions have different responsibilities. One can change a project, another can set conditions, and the operator can reduce or stop output.

  1. Sill, restored branch, dredging

    primary documentS02

    actor / institutionTransport / AFDJ

    decisiondesign, construction, works administration

    effectnavigation, ecology, flow distribution

  2. Permits and water management

    primary documentS01

    actor / institutionRomanian Waters / environment authorities

    decisionpermits, conditions, monitoring

    effectwater regime and ecological constraints

  3. Plant operation

    reported sourceS05

    actor / institutionNuclearelectrica / CNE Cernavodă

    decisionmonitoring, reduction, controlled shutdown

    effectoutput and safe operation

  4. Coordinating a solution

    reported sourceS09

    actor / institutionGovernment / CNSU

    decisiondecision, releases, works and pumps

    effectflow at the intake and response time

What remains to be verified about BALA II

The planned duration, procurement status and stated flow assurance answer different questions. None alone establishes when the works will be ready or how they will perform.

  1. BALA II plan60 months

    AFDJ describes 12 months of design and 48 months of construction for BALA II.

    primary documentS02
  2. Procedure locatedcancelled

    The CN1076254 design-and-construction notice is listed as cancelled in the public index consulted.

    public procurementS04
  3. Flow assumption>97%

    The document calls it the normed assurance for cooling four reactors. The page does not publish the hydrological recalculation behind it.

    primary documentS02

What remains is to find out what schedule, funding and water regime can support shipping, sturgeon and cooling at the same time.

Where every claim comes from

These documents establish the water route, institutional roles and public project status. Recent changes use INHGA bulletins and CNSU Decision 23/2026; restart estimates remain attributed to the people who made them.

  1. S01primary document

    Environmental agreement for Cernavodă Units 3 and 4

    Legislative Portal · 25 September 2013

    The Old Danube source, the 15-20% low-water share and the designed flows for Units 3 and 4.

  2. S02primary document

    Official BALA II page

    AFDJ Galați · checked 5 September 2026

    Owner, beneficiary, duration, works, ecological benefits and the indirect benefit for four reactors.

  3. S03primary document

    Government Decision 1,079/2024 and BALA II technical-economic indicators

    Government of Romania · 4 September 2024

    The Ministry of Transport as owner, AFDJ as beneficiary, the RON 1,020,762 thousand value and 48 months of works.

  4. S04public procurement

    CN1076254 notice for design and construction

    SEAP, public SICAP index · published 13 December 2024

    Estimated value of RON 743,795,414.73 and a procedure listed as cancelled.

  5. S05reported source

    Controlled shutdown of Unit 2

    Associated Press, quoting Nuclearelectrica · 13 August 2026

    The operator linked the shutdown to the falling Danube level and said the safe shutdown did not affect nuclear-safety parameters.

  6. S06primary document

    Unit 2 remains temporarily connected to the national grid

    Bucharest Stock Exchange, Nuclearelectrica · report dated 30 July 2026

    Operation under monitored parameters and drought procedures.

  7. S07official record indicated

    Prime Minister's Decision 278/2026

    Official Gazette of Romania · 14 August 2026

    The interministerial committee for cooling-water supply. The official page could not be accessed. Indexed extracts of legal reproductions identify Official Gazette no. 675; the original reference gave no. 676.

  8. S08reported source

    Transverse guide groyne on the Danube to redirect flow towards Cernavodă

    Radio România Actualități · 23 August 2026, 07:41

    On 23 August, RRA reported that additional releases from Olt reservoirs had begun, Apele Române were building a transverse guide groyne on the Old Danube, dredging was continuing and DSU was bringing high-capacity industrial pumps. That is the status reported at the time; later sources record that guide-groyne works had not started. RRA attributes the strategy change to the initial stone-barge intervention not producing the expected results.

  9. S09reported source

    New CNSU measures for supplying water to CNE Cernavodă

    Digi24 · 22 August 2026, 09:09

    The CNSU decision provides for urgent dredging, a guide groyne and additional releases of 50 m³/s for five days from Olt reservoirs; high-capacity pumps are also being prepared.

  10. S10official record indicated

    The Ministry of National Defence resumes support missions for CNE Cernavodă

    Ministry of National Defence · 22 August 2026

    Under CNSU Decision no. 20 of 21 August, the Ministry of National Defence began hydrographic, topobathymetric and geodetic measurements at Cernavodă and prepared underwater works.

  11. S11reported source

    Two-to-three-week horizon for restarting one reactor

    AGERPRES, the president's statement · 28 August 2026, 00:20

    Nicușor Dan says hydrologists estimate another two to three weeks before there is enough water to restart at least one Cernavodă reactor. The estimate is relayed by the president, not published as a technical schedule by Nuclearelectrica or INHGA.

  12. S12reported source

    Both Cernavodă reactors are safely shut down

    Nuclearelectrica, quoted by AGERPRES · 24 August 2026, 19:31

    Nuclearelectrica said both reactors were safely shut down and that reconnection decisions would be based on technical data and forecasts.

  13. S13reported source

    Status of dredging and guide-groyne works at Cernavodă

    News.ro · 31 August 2026, 14:30

    The Government says dredging continues at several points, while Romanian Waters specialists say the guide-groyne works have not started after the groyne position changed and other options are being considered.

  14. S14reported source

    Three dredging machines work on the Danube at Cernavodă

    Observator News · 31 August 2026

    Observator republishes the News.ro account of continuing dredging and guide-groyne works not having started after the position changed. This is a republication without independent verification.

  15. S15primary document

    Danube hydrological diagnosis and forecast, 31 August

    INHGA · 31 August 2026, 07:00

    INHGA reports 1,600 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a stationary first day followed by a slight fall to 1,450 m³/s by 7 September, below the monthly means.

  16. S16primary document

    Danube hydrological diagnosis and forecast, 2 September

    INHGA · 2 September 2026, 07:00

    INHGA reports 1,550 m³/s at Baziaș and forecasts a slight fall to 1,400 m³/s by 9 September, below the September multiyear mean of 3,800 m³/s.

  17. S17primary document

    Monthly hydrological forecast for September-November 2026

    INHGA · 1 September 2026

    For the Danube at Baziaș, INHGA estimates a September mean flow of 1,500 m³/s, with a minimum of 1,400 m³/s, against a multiyear mean of 3,800 m³/s.

  18. S18reported source

    Cristian Bușoi on the earliest possible restart review

    B1 TV, the state secretary's statement · 2 September 2026

    The Energy Ministry state secretary says there are no conditions to reopen the plant before 10 September; the assessment depends on a sufficient and sustained water level and the plant's specialists.

  19. S19reported source

    Bușoi: forecast flow does not yet mean a stable Cernavodă level

    Mediafax, the B1 TV statement · 2 September 2026, 10:42

    Mediafax corroborates that forecast flow is rising, but the Cernavodă level is not yet sufficient and stable for a restart; an initial decision could be taken around 10 September if operation can continue without interruption.

  20. S20official record indicated

    The official staged plan for the flow needed by CNE Cernavodă

    Government of Romania / CNSU · 2 September 2026, evening

    CNSU approves a temporary, modular, staged and reversible plan, published in Official Gazette no. 741. If the level in the CNE intake basin reaches 1.58 m, the first stage uses ships or barges along about 600 m to redirect flow; it is followed by a modular closure of about 170 m with pontoons and hydrobarriers, then, if needed, high-capacity pumps operated by Apele Române and Nuclearelectrica. A temporary stone barrier remains in reserve.

  21. S21primary document

    Danube hydrological situation on 3 September 2026

    INHGA · 3 September 2026

    INHGA measures 1,500 m³/s at Baziaș for 2-3 September and forecasts 1,450 m³/s for the following day, against a September multiyear mean of 3,800 m³/s.

  22. S22reported source

    Bușoi: there are no conditions to reopen in the next ten days

    TVR, Energy Ministry statement · 3 September 2026

    State secretary Cristian Bușoi says the forecast does not show a sustained increase and that, for at least the next ten days, there are no conditions to reopen the Cernavodă units.

  23. S23primary document

    Danube hydrological diagnosis and forecast of 7 September 2026

    INHGA · 7 September 2026

    INHGA measures 1,400 m³/s at Baziaș for 6-7 September. Flows were stationary on the Cernavodă-Hârșova sector; for 7-14 September, the forecast falls to 1,300 m³/s in the first five days and then holds it there.

  24. S24primary document

    Danube hydrological diagnosis and forecast of 10 September 2026

    INHGA · 10 September 2026

    INHGA measures 1,350 m³/s at Baziaș for 9-10 September. Its 10-17 September forecast falls gently to 1,250 m³/s in the first four days, stays there for one day and then returns to 1,350 m³/s, still below the 3,800 m³/s multiyear mean.

  25. S25reported source

    Bolojan moves the restart horizon towards the end of September

    AGERPRES, Ilie Bolojan's statement · 10 September 2026

    Interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan says that, given the flows and forecasts at the time, the plant could be seriously considered for restart only towards the end of September and that production would return to the system in October. This is a government assessment, not a Nuclearelectrica technical schedule.

  26. S26primary document

    CNSU Decision 23/2026, Official Gazette no. 824

    National Committee for Emergency Situations · 28 September 2026

    Extends the state of alert from 29 September to 28 October. Forecasts a median 1,185–1,200 m³/s at Baziaș around 10–13 October and identifies a probable Cernavodă risk window on 15–22 October. It does not set a reactor restart date.

Limits of this edition

  • The official BALA II page says that flow for cooling four reactors is assured at more than 97%. It does not publish the hydrological series or recalculation behind that figure.
  • The CN1076254 notice appears as cancelled in the public index consulted. That status alone does not show what happened to a later procedure.
  • The page treats the reactor shutdown as an availability and safe-operation decision. It does not use it as evidence that nuclear safety was compromised.
  • The two-to-three-week horizon is a presidential statement relaying hydrologists. It is not a technical restart schedule from the operator.
  • For the 31 August event, the page preserves the Government and Romanian Waters statements as reporting. Continued dredging does not prove that the guide groyne has been built.
  • For 2-3 September, INHGA supplies a forecast and then a hydrological situation, Bușoi moves his assessment to the next ten days and CNSU approves a provisional plan with a 1.58 m activation threshold. The threshold activates the supply system; it does not guarantee a reactor restart.
  • The INHGA bulletins of 7 and 10 September show a worsening forecast. Bolojan's end-of-September assessment is not a restart date. CNSU Decision 23 extends the alert to 28 October and identifies a probable Cernavodă risk window on 15–22 October without setting a restart date.

We separate the facts in the records from the connection we draw between them and from questions the public record does not answer.

Reporting through 29 September 2026. Editorial revision 29 September 2026.