World News
Jellyfish swarm forces partial shutdown of Gravelines nuclear plant in France
Multiple reactor units at the northern France facility were shut down or operated at reduced capacity after seawater cooling filters were clogged.
The short version
- An influx of jellyfish clogged the seawater cooling filtration system at the Gravelines nuclear power station in northern France, forcing a partial shutdown.
- Operator Électricité de France (EDF) shut down two reactor units on Wednesday and Thursday, while another unit has been offline since August 10 and two others are operating at reduced power.
- The 5,400-megawatt plant experienced a similar jellyfish-related closure in August of last year.
- Preventative steps, including working with local fishermen to catch and relocate jellyfish offshore, are underway to manage the filtration issue.
Key facts
- Two units at the Gravelines nuclear power station were shut down on Wednesday and Thursday due to jellyfish clogging the seawater filtration system used for cooling.[BBC News]
- Électricité de France (EDF) reported that three of the plant's six 900-megawatt units were offline, while two others operated at reduced power as a precaution and a fourth unit was closed for inspection.[BBC News]
- Unit three of the facility had previously been shut down on August 10 due to jellyfish and was briefly reconnected to the grid on August 18 before being taken offline again.[BBC News]
- The plant draws cooling water from a canal connected to the North Sea, where warm summer weather boosts plankton levels and increases jellyfish activity near the surface.[BBC News]
- Measures to mitigate the issue include partnering with local fishermen to capture jellyfish and release them further offshore.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The exact timeline for when all offline units at Gravelines will return to full power remains unspecified.[BBC News]
Sources
- Jellyfish force partial shutdown of French nuclear plantBBC News - Top Stories