Bușoi explains what would happen if Cernavodă Reactor 2 did not work

„We must also be prepared for the scenario in which Cernavodă Unit II, for a short period of time, would not work”, said Cristian Bușoi, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy, to RFI on Monday.

He made recommendations for reducing energy consumption, including giving up air conditioning in the evening hours or rescheduling vacations for employees in the industrial sector.

„And maybe the air conditioning that does not work at maximum between 19 and 22, this gesture made at the same time by a significant number of people could generate a good effect in the national energy system. And on the industrial side, if certain inspection activities, repairs, certain holidays can be scheduled in these two weeks, between 10 and 24 August, let’s say, the critical period, it helps a lot, so as not to reach limitations for industrial consumers”, says Bușoi.

Following the detonation of the rock on the Danube, Romania sank four barges in an effort to increase the flow rate near Cernavodă

After the sinking of the first two barges, the level of the Danube on the Bala branch, in the area of ​​the Cernavodă power plant increased by 4 centimeters. According to calculations, the reactor gained at least 9 days of operation. The effects of the sinking of the last two barges are only going to be seen in these days. Also, the Danube riverbed will be dredged, that is, it will be cleaned of sediments, mud or other materials on the bottom of the water for deepening and widening. The operation will be carried out from Bala to Cernavodă and vice versa. The operation will ensure the highest possible flow rate, explained Irinel Scrioșteanu, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport.

Cristian Bușoi warns that the improvement in blood flow is not long-lasting

Cristian Bușoi specifies that the improvement in the Danube level situation is not long-lasting: „After the first dips, we saw an improvement in the Danube level in the Cernavodă area. From the data we have (…), it seems that this effect was not a lasting one”, declared Bușoi.

He specifies: „we must also be prepared for the scenario in which unit II, for a short period of time, would not function”.

According to Bușoi, the state must be prepared:

„We must be prepared and we have taken the steps through the Government Decision on crisis situations, then by approving the consumption limitation regulation by Transelectrica, as the Prime Minister has publicly explained several times, it is good to be prepared for scenarios in which in the worst case, obviously, we would have some consumption limitations during peak hours for large industrial consumers, that is what could be worse”, says Bușoi.

People urged to shift their energy consumption outside peak hours

Regarding the efficiency of energy consumption, Bușoi specified that the change may mean moving some household activities where energy is consumed, from peak consumption hours, outside this interval.

„Any efficiency in consumption also means a personal advantage, by reducing the bill, but without giving up comfort, without reaching extreme situations, as unfortunately propagated, that this is not what we are talking about, not keeping the light on at all, not taking a shower, not washing at all, these are things that have not been talked about. Simply, moving some activities during peak hours outside these hours”, declared Bușoi.

What would happen if the 2nd Cernavodă Reactor would not function

The Secretary of State draws attention to the fact that, if Reactor 2 does not have water for the cooling pumps and it will not be possible to import electricity from the regional market for peak consumption hours, Transelectrica will be forced to reduce by 10 – 30% the amount of energy that large industrial consumers receive.

He specifies that industrial activity groups do not affect either vital services, hospitals, Police, gendarmes, support services, or the population.

„The population will not feel anything, no matter how difficult the situation is, if Unit II is closed,” concluded Bușoi