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Bulgaria Plans 120 MW Kozloduy Unit 5 Power Reduction Amid Danube Drought

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Bulgaria plans to reduce the output of Kozloduy nuclear plant Unit 5 by about 120 megawatts on Friday as Danube levels continue to fall, the country's Energy Ministry said Thursday.

The preventive cut aims to support safe plant operations as forecasts show further declines in the Danube upstream of Bulgaria.

The measure marks the first time Kozloduy has reduced a reactor unit's power output due to extreme weather and hydrological conditions in its 52-year operating history, according to the ministry.

Kozloduy formed a working group in early July after the Danube began showing a sustained decline and forecasts pointed to prolonged drought across Western and Central Europe.

The plant implemented procedures outlining measures needed to maintain safe and reliable operations during an extended period of low river levels, the ministry said.

Kozloduy uses Danube water to cool steam in condensers located outside the nuclear section, while separate systems cool the nuclear reactors themselves.

The plant's shore pumping station can maintain the required water supply even when river levels fall, and equipment maintenance has allowed Kozloduy to operate normally while other Danube-region nuclear plants have reduced or halted production.

The ministry said the plant has continued to supply the national and regional energy systems despite difficult hydrological conditions, with its water intake infrastructure supporting its operations.

Kozloduy teams are working around the clock to manage the situation and maintain safe and reliable operation of the nuclear facilities, the ministry said.

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