The Myth of French Nuclear Stagnation: Heatwave Hit German Wind Turbines Harder

During a recent European heatwave, public discourse in Germany largely centered on the performance of French and Swiss nuclear power plants, with some media outlets suggesting that high temperatures were rendering them inoperable. Concerns were even raised about climate change potentially endangering nuclear waste.

However, data analysis reveals a different story. While French nuclear reactors, operated by EDF, did reduce output or temporarily shut down some units due to high river temperatures – a standard procedure for water-cooled reactors to protect the environment – their overall electricity generation remained stable. In contrast, Germany's extensive wind power infrastructure, comprising over 30,000 turbines, proved significantly more vulnerable to the hot, calm weather conditions.

On peak heat days, German wind power production plummeted, generating only about 45 gigawatt-hours per day on average. This was a stark contrast to France's nuclear output, which hovered around 900 gigawatt-hours, roughly twenty times more. Even with abundant sunshine, Germany's solar power, while producing three times more electricity than wind, could not compensate for the loss of wind power after sunset.

The data indicates that the primary issue during the heatwave was not the French nuclear fleet's inability to function but rather the fragility of Germany's reliance on wind energy during periods of low wind and high temperatures. The narrative that high temperatures were crippling French nuclear power appears to be a misinterpretation, with the real challenge emerging domestically in Germany's energy supply.