When the rivers ran warm: how a heatwave thinned France’s nuclear export cushion - pv magazine Global

UK-based engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP explains how a late-June 2026 heatwave forced France to cut output at river-cooled nuclear reactors as the Rhône, the Garonne and the Seine approached their thermal limits. The afternoon surplus that France exports to its neighbours fell from 11–12 GW to under 3 GW within days, even though the month’s total exports remained normal. The episode shows how rising river temperatures can become a recurring constraint on French nuclear output.

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