Jellyfish stopped four reactors of France's largest nuclear power plant

Four reactors at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant have been shut down due to an accumulation of jellyfish in the cooling systems. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.

Details

According to the plant operator EDF, the jellyfish invasion is likely related to rising water temperatures due to global warming.

Jellyfish reproduce faster when the water is warmer, and as areas like the North Sea become warmer, the reproductive window becomes wider and wider.

According to him, invasive species in the sea were most likely brought by tankers.

They enter ballast tanks in one port and are often pumped into waters on the other side of the globe. ... Everyone talks about the cleanliness of nuclear energy, but we don't think about the unintended consequences of thermal pollution.

EDF said they did not know which species of jellyfish caused the reactor shutdown. They assured that specialist teams are working on a safe restart.

For reference

The Gravelines NPP is an operating nuclear power plant in northern France in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. It ranks fifth among the largest nuclear power plants in the world, second in Europe (after the Zaporizhzhia NPP), and first in Western Europe (including France).

The NPP operates 6 power units with pressurized water reactors (PWR) CP1 developed by Framatome with a capacity of 951 MW each. The output power of its six reactors is 5460 MW. The water cooling the 6 reactors of the plant comes from the North Sea.

Recall

In late July, against the backdrop of a powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia and a tsunami warning across the Pacific Ocean, Japan evacuated 4,000 workers from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. No damage was found at the facility, but for many Japanese, it was a disturbing reminder of the 2011 tragedy, when a tsunami caused one of the world's largest nuclear accidents.

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