Heatwave forces France to shut down nuclear reactors

Extreme heatwaves in Europe which has, according to some reports, accounted for 10,000 excess deaths in the continent has forced France to shut down its nuclear reactors.

EDF, France's state-owned energy company, shut down three nuclear reactors on Sunday with seven more that may soon need to run at lower power too.

The reactors which went offline include:

• Unit 2 at Golfech,
• Unit 3 at Bugey,
• Unit 2 at Chooz

Together, they make up about 6% of France's total nuclear power.

The reason for this precaution isn’t the heatwave itself but the water from rivers used to cool down reactors at nuclear power plants. 

The water goes back into the river after cooling the reactors, but it itself comes out hotter. With rivers already heating up from the weather, dumping in more warm water could hurt fish and other river life.

An EDF spokesperson said there's no safety concern as reactors can easily handle high temperatures, adding, the shutdowns exist purely to protect the environment.

Based on current weather forecasts, Bugey's reactor should switch back on around July 19. 

Golfech is expected to restart around July 22, and Chooz around July 25. Those dates could shift if the weather changes.