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According to Radu Miruță, Romania’s acting defense minister, 180 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. More than 100 military sappers and divers participated in the operation. The first attempt to destroy the rock failed—the rock proved to be stronger than expected. After a second blast, the operation was successfully completed.
According to The Guardian, based on the authorities’ calculations, this will allow more water to be diverted from the Bala branch into the Old Danube channel, from which the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant draws water to cool its reactors.
The Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant accounts for about 20% of Romania’s electricity generation. In late July, the plant’s first power unit, with a capacity of 706.5 MW, was shut down due to low water levels in the Danube. The second power unit remains in operation.
The low water levels in the Danube are the result of a prolonged heat wave and drought that have affected much of Southeast Europe. The low water levels have already impacted shipping, the operation of hydroelectric power plants, and the energy infrastructure of several countries in the region.
