High temperatures have forced the activity of nuclear plants near the Rhone River to be reduced.
- Bugey plants in eastern France and Saint-Alban have reduced their electricity production, so the activity has concluded that the increase in water temperatures has caused damage to the ecosystem. In terms of time, the expected temperatures are high, so they have had to make the decision.
The decision of the French company owning the nuclear power plants was the same, but this year’s decision comes earlier on the calendar. Due to weather forecasts, the temperature of the Rhône River is rising and the reversed hot water of the plant affects the surrounding ecosystem – knowing that the water poured from the plant is warmer than usual, seeing that the water used in the base is warmer...– To explain simply, the relationship between the two is as follows: for the operation of the reactors, the plant uses the river water to cool down the water vapor that influences the activity – and that the fact that the water is at 27, 28 or 30 degrees is not very important for the activity. The water in the plant is 100 degrees and you have to go down to 30-40 degrees. The challenge is that the temperature of the water that mixes downstream from the plant, that is, the water that the plant spills back into the river is not extraordinarily hot so as not to harm biodiversity.
The radioactivity research centre Criirad states that the increase in the temperature of the waters near the plant cannot exceed three daily average levels. For the time being, due to weather forecasts, the reduction will last from 13 to 16 July and the EDF plans to halve production. Knowing that a large part of the electricity is intended for export, the company has ensured that there will be no change in people’s daily lives.
Influence of climate change
The impact of climate change will be increasingly felt in the nuclear sector, including cuts in production. Since 2000, annual production has been reduced by 0.3%.
In the French State there are a total of 18 nuclear power stations, 56 reactors. After EE.UU. France is the most central country in the world, followed by China in the ranking.
Despite this reduction measure, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has shown that plants cause damage: algae have multiplied and several species of fish have been affected. If so far the cutbacks were to take place in September and October, when the amount of water in the rivers was the type, in recent years the cutbacks have to be on the increase, starting in May last year.
In fact, the Garonne River, in southern France, is experiencing the greatest increase in temperatures, and in these areas there is also a nuclear power plant in the village of Golfech. But for maintenance reasons, manure is closed to the end.
In France there are 18 nuclear power stations, 56 reactors. After EE.UU. France is the most central country in the world, followed by China in the ranking.
