August 5, 2026 | 06:09 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - French energy company EDF shut down three nuclear reactors after drought triggered low water levels in the Meuse and Moselle rivers, local media reported Tuesday, August 4, according to Antara, citing Anadolu.
Two reactors at the Chooz nuclear power plant in the Ardennes region of northeastern France, and one reactor at the Cattenom plant on the Moselle, remained offline as of Monday afternoon, according to Le Figaro newspaper.
EDF shut down the Chooz reactor No. 1 on Saturday night to comply with a 1998 agreement between France and Belgium governing the management of the Meuse River.
A second reactor at the plant had been offline since July 11 under the same agreement.
The agreement allows for adjustments in electricity production to maintain adequate water levels for Meuse users in both France and Belgium, EDF said.
The company also shut down one of the reactors at the Cattenom plant overnight between Friday and Saturday as a precautionary measure following a drop in water levels in the Moselle River.
EDF has also reduced or plans to reduce production at four other reactors: Bugey 3, Tricastin 4, and Saint-Alban 1 and 2.
France operates 57 nuclear reactors, generating approximately 70 percent of the nation's electricity needs.
Nuclear power plants are generally located near rivers or seas because they require large amounts of water for cooling. During droughts and heat waves, reduced river flow and rising water temperatures can force EDF to limit or halt production.
These restrictions aim to protect aquatic ecosystems by preventing increases in river temperatures due to the discharge of cooling water, as well as to prevent the release of certain chemical and radioactive waste during low water levels.
The administrative regions of the Ardennes and Moselle regions were placed under a yellow heat wave alert on Monday as extreme temperatures continued to affect parts of France.
Read: Hungary to Shut Down Nuclear Plant Amid Extreme Heatwave
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