The electricity output for the national system from the Iron Gates I power plant, southwest of Romania's capital Bucharest, dropped significantly because of a drop in the flow of the Danube, said a senior official of the company on Friday.

Compared to the average flow of the Danube in June, which is set at 6,400 cubic meters per second, the present flow from this river is only 3,600 cubic meters per second, said Theodor Pavelescu, general manager of the Iron Gates branch of Hydroelectric Company.

Due to the drop in the flow of the Danube, the six upgraded hydro-generators at Iron Gates I can produce only 11,000 megawatts of electricity per hour at present, far less than the normal output of 17,000 megawatts of electricity per hour.

A similar drop in electricity supply occurred in 1993 when the Danube's flow dropped to 2,600 cubic meters per second, said Pavelescu.

The Iron Gates I power plant is the biggest hydropower plant in Romania. Its electricity output accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation's energy supply.

Source: Xinhua