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🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Europe's power supply strained by heatwaves and upcoming solar eclipse

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Europe faces a potential power crunch as heatwaves reduce output from nuclear, coal, and hydropower plants.
  • An upcoming solar eclipse on April 12 is expected to further decrease solar power generation, adding strain to the grid.
  • Grid operators are closely monitoring the situation, particularly the impact of weather on supply and demand.

Europe is bracing for a potential power supply crunch as a combination of extreme heat and an upcoming solar eclipse threatens to disrupt electricity generation. Heatwaves and drought have already forced several power plants, including nuclear and coal facilities, to reduce their output across the continent.

The situation is further complicated by the impending solar eclipse scheduled for April 12. This celestial event is expected to cause a significant, albeit temporary, drop in solar power generation. In Spain, grid operator Red Eléctrica estimates a potential loss of up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, equivalent to about 13% of the typical peak demand on an August Wednesday. France's RTE projects a reduction of approximately 9.3 GW across Europe during the eclipse's peak, a figure comparable to the output of about nine nuclear reactors.

There is no immediate concern about power supply stability for the time being, but the power supply is clearly tight.

— Anna-Kaisa ItkonenEuropean Commission spokesperson commenting on the current energy situation.

Compounding these issues, the persistent heatwaves have impacted conventional power sources. Rising temperatures have led to lower water levels and higher temperatures in rivers used for cooling nuclear and coal-fired power plants. Consequently, some facilities have had to curtail operations or shut down to comply with safety and environmental regulations. Hydropower generation has also suffered, with reservoir levels in Norway, a key electricity exporter, reportedly at a 30-year low, diminishing the continent's overall power buffer.

While immediate concerns about power supply stability are not critical, officials acknowledge the tight energy situation. Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, a spokesperson for the European Commission, stated that the situation is being closely monitored, especially concerning weather-related factors like rainfall. The confluence of extreme weather and the eclipse presents a significant challenge for European energy grids as they strive to maintain a stable supply.

We are monitoring weather phenomena like rainfall and related developments very closely.

— Anna-Kaisa ItkonenEuropean Commission spokesperson on the monitoring of energy supply factors.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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