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France and Switzerland Shut Down Nuclear Power Plants Due to Heatwave
- Électricité de France shut down reactor 1 at the Golfech nuclear power plant late on Sunday, June 29th, 2025, in southern France due to extreme heat.
- The shutdown followed forecasts that the Garonne River’s water temperature would reach 28°C, exceeding regulatory limits for cooling and risking environmental harm.
- In addition to Golfech, EDF reduced output at Blayais and Bugey plants to prevent river overheating, while Swiss operator Axpo cut Beznau’s reactor outputs amid the European heatwave.
- French electricity consumption rose 16 percent Tuesday compared to last year, but expert Nicolas Goldberg noted these drops do not indicate an energy crisis as summer demand is typically low.
- The shutdowns demonstrate increasing operational challenges for nuclear plants due to heatwaves, prompting calls for EDF to upgrade cooling systems amid climate change concerns and persistent extreme weather.
19 Articles
19 Articles
France and Switzerland shut down nuclear power plants due to heatwave
To cool down, nuclear power plants pump water from local rivers or the sea, which they then release back into water bodies at a higher temperature. However, this process can threaten local biodiversity if water is released which is too hot.
He claims that nuclear power is a long-term part of our climate problem: because of the heat, the reactors would all have to be throttled, so they no longer supply electricity. A steep thesis: Nuclear power should therefore be as weather-dependent as wind and solar. Is that so? Comment by Vanessa Renner Drama! Because the water of the rivers is too warm, first nuclear power stations in France would have to be throttled. For the Star-Editor this …
Because of the heat wave and the lack of cooling, France is throttling its nuclear power plants. As a result, electricity prices in Germany are rising on Tuesday.
With heatwaves, nuclear power plants must slow down. This is precisely when electricity consumption is rising, particularly with the boom in air conditioning. When the heat rises, the nuclear fleet risks suffocation. This is why, on the morning of Monday, June 30, EDF shut down reactor 1 at the Golfech power plant (Tarn-et-Garonne), which quenches its thirst in the Garonne. The river's temperature exceeded 28°C, and as the principle of (…) Read …
Because of the heat, which is becoming increasingly unbearable, the nuclear power plants in Europe reduce power or temporarily stop. The reason is to overheat the river water that is normally used to cool reactors. On 2 July, Euronews writes about this. [See_also ids="644819"] Under normal conditions, the nuclear power plant takes water from rivers or seas to cool the equipment and then returns it to it, but with elevated temperatures. However, …
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