France relies heavily on nuclear power – but regularly shuts down reactors when temperatures soar. With summers getting longer and hotter, can the French nuclear sector cope with climate change?
As France sizzles under a severe and long-lasting June heatwave the Golfech nuclear reactor, in the south-western département of Tarn-et-Garonne has been shut down because the neighbouring River Garonne was too hot for its waters to be used to cool the reactor.
The same reactor was also shut down during the heatwave in 2025, while other reactors, such as the one at Bugey in Ain, along the Rhône, and the one at Blayais on the banks of the Gironde, had to reduce output.
These shutdowns are routine and were anticipated as soon as a heatwave was forecast - but what does this mean as French summers get hotter and heatwaves more frequent and more intense?
Safety protocols
