Prime Minister Luca Niculescu reacts after the shutdown of Unit 1 at Cernavodă and announces inspections into the technical malfunction

Prime Minister Luca Niculescu stated that the shutdown once again of Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, which occurred on Monday evening, is an unwanted incident and that checks have begun to establish the causes. The reactor had been restarted just three days earlier.

Nuclearelectrica stated that the disconnection from the National Energy System was caused by a malfunction in the conventional, non-nuclear part of the unit. According to Transelectrica data, the problem occurred in the vacuum control system of the turbine condenser. The company said that the incident did not affect nuclear safety, plant personnel, or the environment.

The prime minister announced that he remains in contact with the Energy Minister, who is monitoring the situation together with Nuclearelectrica representatives. Niculescu emphasized that the authorities must identify solutions to prevent such problems from recurring.

The head of government also spoke about the risks during the cold season, pointing out that the plant’s operation depends, among other things, on the level of the Danube. According to the available information, Romania is not expected to experience a very dry winter; however, the Bala 2 project could provide an additional water supply for current and future reactors.

Following the incident, Nuclearelectrica announced that the plant’s technical director will be replaced starting on 1 December 2026. The underlying cause is to be presented in a subsequent report.