Jellyfish force partial shutdown of French nuclear plant
Summary
A large number of jellyfish caused a partial shutdown of the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France. Several reactors were turned off or reduced in power because the jellyfish clogged the seawater cooling filters.Key Facts
- Gravelines nuclear power plant has six reactors, each producing 900 megawatts of power.
- Two reactors were shut down on Wednesday and Thursday due to jellyfish in the cooling system.
- Another reactor has been offline since August 10 for the same reason, and a fourth was closed for inspection.
- The plant uses seawater from a canal linked to the North Sea for cooling.
- Jellyfish are more active in warmer months when plankton levels rise near the water surface.
- Similar jellyfish problems have happened before at Gravelines in August 2024 and at nuclear plants in Scotland (2011) and Sweden (2013).
- EDF, the plant operator, works with local fishermen to catch jellyfish and release them farther offshore to reduce blockages.
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