Due to looming energy shortages combined with low water levels, five French nuclear power plants are allowed to discharge warmer-than-normal cooling water into French rivers until mid-September. The French government aims to prevent these nuclear plants from having to reduce or interrupt their electricity production.
Three of the five nuclear power plants on the Garonne and the Rhône had already received this permission a few weeks ago; now two more have been added. Due to maintenance work and technical problems, currently only half of the 56 nuclear reactors in France are operational.
For each nuclear power plant in France, there is a specific series of temperature limits that must not be exceeded to protect the flora and fauna of the rivers. These limits have now been partially relaxed.
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Because of heatwaves earlier this year, some nuclear power plants were temporarily shut down to avoid overheating the rivers too much. Since the rivers carry less water after the dry winter and spring, they warm up more quickly due to the discharged cooling water.
Allowing warmer wastewater discharge is accompanied by stricter environmental supervision. In recent years, several French nuclear power plants have been shut down multiple times when the river temperatures rose too high.