2023-07-13 19:06:55
EDF plans to reduce production at its nuclear power plant in Bugey (Ain) this weekend, due to the rising temperature of the nearby Rhône, we learned from the electrician on Thursday. These restrictions could lead to the shutdown of one or two of the plant’s four reactors. The river also reaches high temperatures near the Saint-Alban power station (Isère), again, however, within the authorized limits. But on this site, the production of the only reactor in operation – the second being in maintenance – cannot be lowered, the manager of the electricity network RTE having requested a maintenance of 1,300 MW of production.
The activity of the power stations, which pump and then discharge water from adjacent rivers (or the sea, where applicable), is governed by limits on the temperature rise of these rivers, thresholds specific to each site aimed at preserve wildlife and the environment. This is the first time since the beginning of the summer that production could be lowered in the face of rising temperatures in the river. In the summer of 2022, the second hottest ever measured after 2003, EDF had for the first time benefited from an exemption regime on two sites (Golfech and Le Bugey) to continue to produce beyond the temperature rise thresholds.
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For several years, in a context of global warming, EDF has had to adjust its production, sometimes as early as June, to comply with discharge limits. According to the group, since 2000, production losses due to high temperature and low river flow have represented an average of 0.3% of the annual production of the nuclear fleet. In 2022, these production losses “were limited» to about 0.5 TWh (less than 0.2% of annual production). “The reinforced environmental monitoring put in place did not highlight any particular impact over this period.“, assures the national producer.
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