In France, nuclear power generation has fallen to its lowest level in nearly nine months. The heat wave has forced Électricité de France to cut back on production because the water in the rivers is too warm to cool the reactors.
Bloomberg reports this.
Air temperatures in the country have dropped from last week’s peak, but rivers are cooling more slowly, which continues to limit nuclear power generation. As a result, average nuclear power generation fell below 33 gigawatts on Sunday—the lowest level since October 5, according to grid operator RTE.
It is noted that the likelihood of a return to hot weather next week may leave little time for water temperatures in reservoirs to recover, creating the risk of further restrictions.
Supply concerns have already impacted energy markets: on Monday, French July electricity futures jumped 27% to EUR 81.01 (USD 92.42) per megawatt-hour, the highest level for the nearest-month contract since January.
France’s nuclear power sector provides about two-thirds of the country’s electricity and plays a key role in the European power grid. Recent high temperatures have caused price spikes across Europe, as reduced supply and increased demand for cooling are straining power grids.
Because environmental regulations limit the amount of water used to cool reactors and discharged back into rivers, EDF has had to cut production or temporarily shut down power units during periods of extreme heat.
France has just experienced record-breaking temperatures, and forecasts indicate that most of Western Europe will continue to experience unseasonably hot weather for several weeks, with high temperatures expected in France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom in early July.
EDF, which reviews the restrictions daily, has warned that six nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of about 18 gigawatts are at risk. The decline in production has also led to a reduction in electricity exports from the country: according to ENTSO-E, cross-border flows fell to about 4 gigawatts on Wednesday, the lowest level since January.
Daily gas production in France surged during the heatwave, partly to compensate for the nuclear power shortfall, and reached its highest level since early February last week.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, French health officials stated that during the record-breaking heatwave, which has been affecting most of Western Europe for several days, approximately 1,000 more deaths were recorded than expected.
Meanwhile, traffic jams formed on German autobahns due to road surface deformation caused by the extreme heat. On one of these highways, police escorted a truck carrying 9,000 chickens, but about 150 of the birds did not survive the journey.
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