The output of Unit 5 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is being reduced due to low water levels in the Danube

The output of Unit 5 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is being reduced by approximately 120 megawatts due to the low water level of the Danube. The decision is part of measures to ensure its safe operation. It is prompted by the ongoing, unprecedented, and critical drop in the Danube’s water level. Forecasts for river levels upstream of the Bulgarian section continue to show a downward trend.

This is the first time in the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant’s 52-year operational history that a measure to reduce a power unit’s output due to extreme meteorological and hydrological conditions has been implemented.

Water from the Danube River is used to cool the steam in the condensers located in the non-nuclear part of the plant and is not used to cool the nuclear reactors. The water is supplied by the plant’s own riverside pumping station, which is designed and constructed to ensure the necessary water supply even when the river level is low.