Heatwave disrupts operations at French nuclear power plants

Moscow (ANTARA) - French electricity utility EDF has halted operations at three nuclear reactors and reduced power production at eight others due to the heatwave sweeping the country, the daily Le Parisien reported on Sunday (12/7), citing the company.

The move was taken because of extreme weather conditions and to comply with regulations on the discharge of cooling water and environmental protection.

Reactor No. 2 at the Golfech nuclear power plant on the Garonne River, Reactor No. 3 at the Bugey plant on the Rhone River, and Reactor No. 2 at the Chooz plant on the Meuse River were taken offline.

In addition, EDF also reduced production capacity at the Saint-Alban, Blayais, Bugey, Chooz, and Tricastin nuclear plants.

Under French environmental regulations, EDF is required to reduce reactor output when river water temperatures exceed certain thresholds in order to protect aquatic ecosystems. The ongoing heatwave has pushed river temperatures to critical levels, forcing the operator to take such measures.

France, along with several other European countries, has been experiencing unusually hot weather in recent weeks.

At the end of June, the French meteorological agency issued its highest-level weather warning for 72 of the country’s 96 administrative departments, a new record.

Air temperatures at the time approached 40 degrees Celsius and even exceeded that figure in a number of regions.