Europe 1 with AFP // photo credit: Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 20:22 p.m., July 19, 2023

Due to the hot weather, EDF could lower the production of its nuclear power plant in Ain from this Saturday, July 22. "Due to the forecast of high temperatures on the Rhône, production restrictions are likely to affect the Bugey nuclear production site," the electricity producer said.

EDF could lower the production of its nuclear power plant of Bugey (Ain) from July 22, because of the rising temperature of the waters of the Rhone nearby, we learned Wednesday from the electrician. "Due to the forecast of high temperatures on the Rhône, production restrictions are likely to affect the Bugey nuclear production site from July 22," EDF said Tuesday in its legal information. However, "for network constraints" and at the request of the TEN network operator, "the site will have to produce at least 1,800 MW".

These restrictions could lead to a reduction in the production of one or more reactors at the Bugey power plant, with EDF specifying that "the power produced by the site may evolve according to network constraints". The plant has 4 reactors of 900 MW each. Last weekend, for the first time this summer, high temperatures led to the shutdown of the Bugey 3 reactor, for cumulative reasons of "environmental constraints and low demand for electricity", we learned from a spokesman.

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0.3% production losses since 2000

The activity of power plants, which pump water from adjacent rivers (or the sea, if applicable) for cooling before discharging it warmer into the environment, is framed by heating and flow thresholds of these watercourses not to be exceeded. These thresholds are specific to each plant and are intended to protect fauna and flora. For several years, in a context of global warming, droughts and heat waves have led EDF, sometimes as early as June, to adjust its production to respect the limits of thermal discharge.

In the summer of 2022, the second hottest ever measured after 2003, EDF had for the first time benefited from a derogation regime on two sites (Golfech and Le Bugey) to continue producing beyond the heating thresholds. According to the group, since 2000, production losses due to high temperature and low river flow have represented on average 0.3% of the annual production of the nuclear fleet. In 2022, these losses "were limited" to about 0.5 TWh (less than 0.2% of annual production).