Ford and Dacia Suspend Production at Romanian Plants Amid Energy Crisis

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan confirmed that Ford and Dacia have suspended production at their two plants in Romania, with the shutdown lasting until August 19, 2026. The suspension stems from a severe nationwide electricity shortage, triggered by persistent high temperatures and drought that have drastically lowered water levels in the Danube River — impacting cooling systems at nuclear power plants.

Ford's plant in Craiova — located about 230 km southwest of Bucharest — primarily manufactures the Puma subcompact crossover and the Transit Courier and Transit Tourneo Courier light commercial vehicles. Dacia's plant in Pitești, roughly 120 km west of the capital, produces the Duster and Bigster SUVs. Both facilities rely on a stable grid supply, now severely strained by the country's widespread power shortages.

Romania and neighboring Hungary are jointly facing regional energy pressure. As the sole operational nuclear power plant in Romania, the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant depends on the Danube for reactor cooling water. Falling river levels recently forced Nuclearelectrica — the state-owned nuclear operator — to shut down one of its two reactors. Under normal conditions, this plant supplies approximately one-fifth of Romania's electricity. To alleviate insufficient cooling water flow, authorities even conducted a controlled blast on August 3, 2026, to remove part of a riverbank rock formation — diverting water toward the still-operational reactor.

Several major European rivers are experiencing historic low-water conditions. Beyond the Danube, the Rhine River's critical stretch — measured at the Kaub gauge in Germany — has dropped to just 25 cm, matching the extreme drought levels seen in 2018. A persistent high-pressure weather system has blocked moist air masses from entering the basin, severely limiting replenishment for both the Rhine and Danube watersheds. These rivers serve not only as vital transport arteries for Europe's energy, chemical, and automotive industries but also provide essential industrial cooling and freight logistics.