Abnormal drought and the shallowing of rivers have already led to the shutdown of several nuclear reactors in France, Hungary, and Romania. Experts warn that climate change may increasingly threaten the operation of European nuclear energy.
The summer drought in Europe and the sharp decline in water levels in rivers have begun to affect the operation of nuclear power plants. In France, Hungary, and Romania, some reactors have already had to be shut down or their output reduced due to a lack of water necessary for cooling.
On August 4, three reactors were shut down in France: two units at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant in the Ardennes and one reactor at the Cattenom station in the Moselle department. The state energy company EDF explained this by the critical drop in water levels in the Meuse and Moselle rivers.
At the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant, the reactors were shut down in accordance with the Franco-Belgian agreement of 1998, which requires halting operations when water levels fall below a certain threshold. At other facilities, restrictions are related to environmental regulations protecting river flora and fauna from overheating.
France operates 57 nuclear reactors, providing nearly 70% of its electricity generation. Despite the temporary shutdowns, the country maintains an energy surplus and continues to export electricity.
The situation is much more complicated in Eastern Europe.
In Hungary, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which uses water from the Danube for cooling, nearly ceased operations entirely — the first time in 44 years of operation. Engineers managed to keep at least one turbine running, while authorities are preparing to compensate for potential shortages by reducing industrial consumption and importing electricity.
In Romania, to ensure the operation of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, the naval forces conducted controlled explosions in the Balan Canal to direct an additional flow of water to the plant. Despite this, one of the reactors had to be shut down.
Due to the shallowing of the Danube, Serbia has also been affected: the output of one of the dams has decreased fivefold, and the country's hydroelectric plants have lost up to 20% of their capacity.
Experts believe that such situations will occur more frequently. According to forecasts from the French research program Explore2, by 2050, the average river flow in France will decrease by about 15%, which will create additional problems for cooling reactors.
At the same time, proponents of nuclear energy note that there are ways to adapt, such as using treated wastewater for cooling reactors; however, such projects are still rare.
Meanwhile, Europe's energy balance is gradually changing: the share of nuclear generation remains stable at around 23%, while renewable energy sources already account for nearly half of electricity production.
Experts warn that due to climate change, problems with cooling nuclear power plants will occur more frequently. This may accelerate the modernization of existing nuclear power plants and further development of renewable energy.
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