Extreme heat waves in Europe, which according to some reports have caused 10,000 excess deaths on the continent, have forced France to shut down its nuclear reactors.
EDF, France’s state-owned energy company, shut down three nuclear reactors on Sunday with seven more that may soon also have to run at lower currents.
The reactors that went offline include:
- Unit 2 at Golfech,
- Unit 3 in Bugey,
- Unit 2 on Chooz
Together they make up around 6% of France’s total nuclear power.
The reason for this precaution is not the heat wave itself, but the water from rivers used to cool reactors at nuclear power plants.
The water goes back into the river after cooling the reactors, but it comes out even hotter. With rivers already warming from the weather, dumping in warmer water could harm fish and other river life.
An EDF spokesman said there are no safety concerns as reactors can easily handle high temperatures, adding that the shutdowns exist solely to protect the environment.
Based on current weather forecasts, Bugey’s reactor should reignite around July 19.
Golfech is expected to relaunch around July 22nd, and Chooz around July 25th. These dates may change if the weather changes.
