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France shuts three nuclear reactors as heatwave strains power grid and river ecosystems

· Environment FRA
Part of European Drought

Électricité de France (EDF) took three nuclear reactors offline on Sunday as a heatwave pushed river temperatures beyond environmental limits, cutting output at some of the country's largest plants.

Units shut down include Golfech 2, Bugey 3, and Chooz 2, with a combined capacity of roughly 3,650 megawatts. EDF expects the reactors to remain offline until between 19 and 25 July. Seven additional reactors have reduced output, while the Tricastin Unit 3 reactor resumed normal operations late Sunday.

French regulations restrict the temperature of cooling water discharged into rivers to protect aquatic ecosystems. The economy ministry granted a temporary temperature exemption for the Bugey plant on the Rhône through 20 July to help safeguard grid stability. EDF has estimated its long-term climate adaptation plan will cost €8.7 billion over 15 years, underscoring the growing financial burden of extreme weather on Europe's nuclear-dependent energy system.

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The reporting this story is built on

euronews.com France shuts down nuclear reactors as heatwave intensifies20minutes.fr FRA Plusieurs réacteurs à l’arrêt, la production électrique française réduiteekstrabladet.dk DNK Hedebølge lukker franske atomreaktorer
Additional coverage

Others reporting the same event

kurier.at AUT Hitzewelle: Frankreich schaltet drei Atomreaktoren abwatson.ch CHE Hitzewelle in Frankreich: Rekordzahl an Atomkraftwerken offlineis.fi FIN Pääkirjoitus: Ranska haluaa johtaa – mutta kuinka kauan?

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