A “massive influx” of jellyfish has forced Electricite de France SA to shut three units at its Gravelines nuclear power plant and reduce output at a fourth, curbing power supply at a time when extremely hot weather is boosting demand.
That’s taken some 3.2 gigawatts of capacity offline, with parts of the country forecast to see temperatures near 40C in the coming days.
A series of heat waves have scorched Europe this summer. Unusually high temperatures off the coast of France can cause jellyfish populations to “bloom.” Pumping stations for coastal nuclear plants like Gravelines usually draw in seawater for cooling, sometimes exposing them to marine life.
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The disruptions started on Monday, and two of the reactors are scheduled to come back online by Wednesday night. The other two, which total 1.8 gigawatts, could stay offline until the end of the week, according to regulatory filings.
