The Romanian government has reached an agreement with the country’s largest industrial consumers to voluntarily reduce electricity use as it struggles with an energy crisis caused by extreme drought and record-low water levels in the Danube River.
Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said companies would cut consumption between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., when pressure on the national power grid is at its highest. Government institutions will also reduce lighting in public buildings and, where possible, dim streetlights.
The measures were discussed with representatives from approximately 80 companies, each of which consumes more than 50,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. According to Bolojan, the reductions will be tailored to each company’s operations. Some businesses may temporarily halt production, while others will maintain minimum activity to avoid disrupting essential industrial processes.
Bolojan also urged residents, businesses and public institutions to voluntarily conserve electricity, warning that Romania’s ability to import additional power is limited.
Automakers Dacia and Ford have already suspended production until August 19, and other major companies are expected to take similar action.
The government is also working to secure sufficient water flow from the Danube to the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. Authorities have removed a natural obstruction that had restricted the flow of water and plan to carry out additional work in the coming days.
Bolojan warned that the crisis extends beyond Romania. Reduced power generation has also contributed to energy shortages in Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldova, further straining electricity supplies across the region.
