Unit two on the Golfech nuclear energy plant in southern France shut down at about 11:45 p.m. on June 22 when the river used to chill the plant obtained too sizzling. The transfer was a precautionary measure, in accordance with Brid Nelligan, a spokesperson for EDF, the plant’s proprietor and operator.
The facility plant takes in water from the Garonne River after which returns most of it to the river at barely greater temperatures after utilizing it to chill gear. French rules restrict the temperature of that return stream, so the nice and cozy water (it was anticipated to succeed in 28 °C, or round 82 °F) pressured the operator to close down the plant.
EDF, which operates France’s total nuclear fleet, can also be limiting the output of different reactors throughout the nation—one reactor on the Nogent-sur-Seine energy plant was ramped down as of Tuesday, and extra will comply with later within the week, Nelligan says.
Excessive warmth has affected France’s nuclear trade earlier than. Not less than seven gigawatts’ price of nuclear power was pressured to close down throughout the nation throughout a warmth wave in July 2025, in accordance with knowledge from Ember Power. That’s greater than your complete grid of Eire.
This time, energy plant outages and limitations aren’t anticipated to be drastic sufficient to have an effect on the flexibility to fulfill demand in France, in accordance with RTE, operator of the nationwide electrical grid.
Nuclear energy has made many of the headlines throughout this warmth wave, however different types of electrical energy technology face related challenges. Hydropower vegetation incessantly run into issues when dry situations decrease the quantity of water accessible to generate power and pressure them to lower or shut off operations. Within the first 5 months of 2025, excessive temperatures and low water situations reduce hydropower provides in Europe by 13% in contrast with the yr earlier than.
