Latest closures follow decision earlier this week to take Golfech unit offline
France’s state-owned energy company EDF has temporarily shut down two more nuclear reactors as a precautionary environmental measure, as the country grapples with a record-breaking heatwave.
The plants taken offline on 25 June were at the two-unit Nogent nuclear station on the Seine River north of Paris, and at the four-unit Bugey facility on the Rhone near Lyon in the southeast.
Both shutdowns were triggered by rising river temperatures, which EDF is required by law to monitor to avoid discharging water that could harm aquatic ecosystems.
The latest closures follow the shutdown earlier this week of a reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France.
France’s 57 nuclear reactors are subject to strict environmental thresholds governing the temperature of nearby rivers.
EDF said on social network X that some reactors may be forced to reduce their output, or even shut down temporarily, to comply with regulatory limits and protect wildlife and vegetation.
Reports in France said regulations at the Golfech plant require that the temperature of the Garonne River not exceed 28°C after cooling water is discharged.
At Nogent, rules require that the temperature of the Seine River not rise by more than 3C downstream of the plant and remain below 28°C on average.
Reuters reported that output was reduced by 4.1 GW, or 7%, of total power demand, at midday on 25 June, citing data from EDF.
