France temporarily shuts down three nuclear reactors due to heatwave

France's main energy provider EDF announced on Sunday that three nuclear reactors had been temporarily shut down and eight others were operating at reduced power due to the heatwave sweeping France. The measure is taken to comply with regulations on cooling water discharges and thus protect the environment, the company said. Reactors at the Golfech plant (on the Garonne river), Bugey (on the Rhone) and Chooz (on the Meuse) have been shut down.

Power plants use river water to cool reactors, heating it before releasing it back into the river. Regulations limit the temperature of discharged water to protect the ecosystem. On Saturday, the economy ministry issued an exemption from temperature limits for the Rhone near the Bugey plant to ensure grid security, valid until July 20.

This is the second time in recent weeks that EDF has had to stop reactors due to extreme heat, after a record-breaking heatwave hit France in June. On Sunday, the third heatwave to sweep the country since May saw more than a third of France under the highest heat alert. Over 25 million people endured temperatures that forecasters said could reach up to 41°C.

The heatwave has forced tourist hotspots to close early, event cancellations, and a shortened stage on the Tour de France. Wildfires have proliferated and deaths by drowning have spiked. Since the end of May, France has been hit hard by repeated episodes of intense heat, causing excess mortality and exposing infrastructure maladapted to extreme weather, the increasing frequency of which scientists link to man-made climate change.