Jellyfish swarm shuts down reactors at France's largest nuclear plant

A massive jellyfish swarm forced the shutdown of three reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France, the country's largest, according to reports. The swarm clogged the cooling water pumps, leading to the temporary closure of reactors 1, 2, and 3. Production from a fourth reactor was halved, leaving only one of the plant's six reactors operating at full capacity.

Électricité de France (EDF), the state-owned energy company, stated that the situation does not pose a risk to the plant's safety or its personnel. This is not the first time jellyfish have disrupted operations at Gravelines; a similar incident occurred last year, leading to the shutdown of four reactors.

Experts suggest that overfishing, plastic pollution, and rising sea temperatures due to climate change are creating favorable conditions for jellyfish to thrive and reproduce. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, including in Sweden in 2013 and Japan in 1991, where jellyfish blooms have caused disruptions at nuclear facilities.

The Gravelines plant's operational challenges this summer have also been compounded by heatwaves and drought, forcing EDF to reduce output at several reactors due to extreme temperatures. France's overall nuclear power output has faced various environmental pressures in recent months.