Key facts
- EDF has temporarily shut down three nuclear reactors in France.
- Seven additional reactors may operate at reduced power due to high temperatures.
- The shutdowns are required by environmental regulations to protect aquatic life from hot water discharge.
- The affected reactors are Unit 2 at Golfech, Unit 3 at Bugey, and Unit 2 at Chooz.
- These outages account for approximately 6% of France's installed nuclear capacity.
- An exemption to temperature limits was issued for the Rhône River near the Bugey plant.
France's state-owned energy group EDF has temporarily shut down three nuclear reactors and warned that seven others may need to adjust their power output as the country experiences an intensifying heatwave. The measures are an environmental protection requirement to prevent discharging excessively hot water into rivers that are already warming due to the high temperatures.
According to EDF, there is no nuclear safety risk associated with these shutdowns, as the limits are in place to protect aquatic flora and fauna. The three offline reactors—Unit 2 at Golfech (1,300 MW), Unit 3 at Bugey (900 MW), and Unit 2 at Chooz (1,450 MW)—collectively represent 3.65GW of capacity, or about 6% of France's roughly 61GW installed nuclear fleet. Bugey Unit 3 is scheduled to restart around July 19, Golfech Unit 2 around July 22, and Chooz Unit 2 around July 25, with these dates subject to adjustment based on weather forecasts.
Seven other nuclear reactors might also have their power output adapted. The economy ministry has issued an exemption to the temperature limits for the Rhône River around the Bugey plant, valid until July 20, to ensure the security of the power grid. This is the second time in recent weeks that EDF has had to halt nuclear reactors due to extreme heat.
EDF stated that production losses from high river water temperatures and low river flows have averaged only 0.3% of the French nuclear fleet's annual electricity generation since 2000. The company has an adaptation plan, estimated to cost €8.7 billion over the next 15 years, to prepare for the consequences of climate change, including measures to improve nuclear power generation resilience during extreme heat. One proposed measure involves cooling water discharged from cooling towers before release into the environment, a system already in operation at the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant.