🇺🇸 영어 원문
Romania has shut down its only nuclear power station because of extremely low water levels in the Danube river caused by prolonged hot weather affecting much of Europe.
The Cernavodă plant, where two reactors produce about 20% of Romania’s electricity, is not expected to be restarted within the next 10 days.
Earlier this week, authorities tried to increase the water flow to the plant – which uses the Danube for cooling – by sinking barges loaded with rocks in the river.
Neighbouring Hungary has so far avoided a shutdown of its only nuclear plant in Paks, which also uses the Danube. The waters in Europe’s second-longest river have fallen to the lowest levels for 30 years in several countries.
The second of the two 706-megawatt reactors at Cernavodă was disconnected from the Romanian electricity grid just before midday on Thursday.
“We do not foresee a restart within the next 10 days,” plant director Romeo Urjan told the AFP news agency.
The shortfall in power is usually covered by solar and wind during the hot, windy daytimes – but traditional coal- and gas-powered generation will have to be supplemented by imports during the evenings.
Romania also has huge hydropower capacity, although that has been heavily cut by the same low river levels that caused the nuclear shutdown.
In Hungary, Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned last month that the Soviet-era Paks, which has four nuclear reactors, could be forced to shut down entirely for the first time.
Plant officials said that levels in the Danube were so low that the suction nozzles used to take in water could not reach it.
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world – but particularly in Europe.
It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe’s waters and more intense wildfires.
The Rhine – another of Europe’s key waterway – is also suffering low water levels, which is severely limiting traffic.
Italy’s largest agricultural trade association, Coldiretti, said climate-related damage – such as hail, drought and wildfires could exceed €3bn (£2.6bn; $3.5bn).
France’s Environment Minister Monique Barbut warned that data from the country’s national statistics agency suggested the recent heatwaves could rack up €10bn to €15bn in direct and indirect costs.
The Dutch bank Triodos said the extreme heat and its consequences could wipe out much of the projected economic growth for the EU.
The European Commission had forecast growth of 1.1%, while the IMF expected the euro area to grow by around 0.9%.
🇰🇷 한국어 요약
청소년 여러분, 안녕하세요! 오늘은 기후 변화가 우리의 일상, 특히 에너지 생산에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 알아보는 흥미로운 기사입니다. 루마니아는 유럽을 강타한 극심한 폭염으로 인해 다뉴브 강의 수위가 급격히 떨어져 유일한 원자력 발전소를 가동 중단했습니다. 원자력 발전소는 냉각을 위해 많은 물을 필요로 하는데, 강물이 마르면 발전기가 멈추는 것이죠. 이 발전소는 루마니아 전력의 약 20%를 담당하고 있어 큰 문제가 되고 있습니다. 인접한 헝가리의 원전도 위기에 처해 있습니다. 이 기사는 기후 변화가 단순히 날씨가 더워지는 것을 넘어, 경제와 에너지 안보까지 위협하는 심각한 문제임을 보여줍니다. 유럽은 지구 평균보다 두 배 빠른 속도로 기온이 상승하고 있으며, 이는 가뭄, 산불, 그리고 경제적 손실로 이어지고 있습니다. 우리가 지금 기후 변화에 관심을 가지고 대응해야 하는 이유를 잘 보여주는 사례라고 할 수 있겠네요!
🔑 핵심 단어 (Vocabulary)
- Shutdown – 가동 중단 – Romania has shut down its only nuclear power station because of extremely low water levels.
- Prolonged – 장기간의, 오래 지속되는 – …caused by prolonged hot weather affecting much of Europe.
- Cooling – 냉각 – …which uses the Danube for cooling…
- Shortfall – 부족, 결손 – The shortfall in power is usually covered by solar and wind…
- Supplemented – 보완된, 보충된 – …will have to be supplemented by imports during the evenings.
- Capacity – 용량, 능력 – Romania also has huge hydropower capacity…
- Suction – 흡입 – …suction nozzles used to take in water could not reach it.
- Wildfires – 산불 – This is causing increased summer heatwaves… and more intense wildfires.
- Forecast – 예측하다 – The European Commission had forecast growth of 1.1%…
- Consequences – 결과, 영향 – …extreme heat and its consequences could wipe out much of the projected economic growth.
🔗 원문 링크
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqlxpq5q799o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss