The Gravelines nuclear power plant, a major facility in northern France, was forced to shut down after a large swarm of jellyfish clogged its cooling systems. The event, which took place late Sunday, resulted in the automatic shutdown of four power units, with two additional units already offline due to maintenance. While the jellyfish were reported to have entered only the non-nuclear part of the facility, EDF expressed that there was no impact on the safety of the facility’s operations, its personnel, or the environment.
The Gravelines plant is one of the largest nuclear sites in France, a country that relies heavily on nuclear power for its electricity needs. The facility has six units, each with a peak production capacity of 90,000 megawatts, enough to power around 5 million homes. EDF stated that the plant teams are currently working on the necessary diagnoses and interventions to ensure safe restarts of the production units. This incident highlights the challenges faced by coastal nuclear plants in managing disruptions caused by marine life, a problem that has been reported globally.
The plant draws cooling water from a channel linking it to the North Sea, which is home to various jellyfish species. The specific type of jellyfish involved in the incident was not identified by the operator. Jellyfish have a long history of causing issues for power plants, often disrupting operations by clogging up intake pipes and cooling systems. These events demonstrate the ongoing environmental and operational risks that nuclear facilities face, particularly those located in marine environments.