Why did jellyfish shut down a French nuclear facility? An unusual tale of nature versus technology
The automatic shutdowns of four units 'had no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment', EDF said on its website.
'These shutdowns are the result of the massive and unpredictable presence of jellyfish in the filter drums of the pumping stations,' the Gravelines plant operator said.
The site was fully shut after the incident, with its two other units already offline for maintenance.
Teams were carrying out inspections to restart the production units 'in complete safety', EDF said, adding the units were expected to restart on Thursday.
'There is no risk of a power shortage,' the company added, saying other energy sources, including solar power, were operational.
Gravelines is Western Europe's largest nuclear power plant with six reactors, each with the capacity to produce 900 megawatts.
The site is due to open two next-generation reactors, each with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts, by 2040.
This is not the first time jellyfish have shut down a nuclear facility, though EDF said such incidents were 'quite rare', adding the last impact on its operations was in the 1990s.
There have been cases of plants in other countries shutting down due to jellyfish invasions, notably a three-day closure in Sweden in 2013 and a 1999 incident in Japan that caused a major drop in output.
Experts say overfishing, plastic pollution and climate change have created conditions allowing jellyfish to thrive and reproduce. — AFP
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Malay Mail
6 hours ago
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Why did jellyfish shut down a French nuclear facility? An unusual tale of nature versus technology
LILLE (France), Aug 12 — A nuclear plant in northern France was temporarily shut down yesterday after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the reactors, energy group EDF said. The automatic shutdowns of four units 'had no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment', EDF said on its website. 'These shutdowns are the result of the massive and unpredictable presence of jellyfish in the filter drums of the pumping stations,' the Gravelines plant operator said. The site was fully shut after the incident, with its two other units already offline for maintenance. Teams were carrying out inspections to restart the production units 'in complete safety', EDF said, adding the units were expected to restart on Thursday. 'There is no risk of a power shortage,' the company added, saying other energy sources, including solar power, were operational. Gravelines is Western Europe's largest nuclear power plant with six reactors, each with the capacity to produce 900 megawatts. The site is due to open two next-generation reactors, each with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts, by 2040. This is not the first time jellyfish have shut down a nuclear facility, though EDF said such incidents were 'quite rare', adding the last impact on its operations was in the 1990s. There have been cases of plants in other countries shutting down due to jellyfish invasions, notably a three-day closure in Sweden in 2013 and a 1999 incident in Japan that caused a major drop in output. Experts say overfishing, plastic pollution and climate change have created conditions allowing jellyfish to thrive and reproduce. — AFP
Malay Mail
16 hours ago
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Malay Mail
18 hours ago
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His team's latest research has confirmed that this technology not only can enhance cerebral blood flow and reduce brain damage in patients with ischemic stroke but can also provide an innovative solution for rehabilitation middle-aged and elderly population is plagued by health issues, such as chronic pain, sleep disorders, immune system disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. eefit provides comprehensive solutions to address these issues through developing innovative healthcare products. At the forum, experts gathered at the booth set up by eefit to experience firsthand how technology redefines the health management of the patented technology reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by reducing Aβ deposits and abnormal tau proteins. The latest research paper presented on-site showed that eefit far infrared energy can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, intervene in pathological protein aggregation, and build a strong line of defense for brain patients suffering from sequelae of stroke, eefit Luminous Energy Helmet and Meridian Pro Illuminator can promote microcirculation in the head and improve cerebral blood flow. The research conducted by the research team of Prof. Vincent Wong has confirmed that this technology can reduce stroke sequelae symptoms and dizziness. An expert user at the forum excitedly shared his feedback, "I am a loyal fan of eefit products. I wear the Luminous Energy Helmet for 20 minutes daily. After one month, I find my memory improved, and I don't get dizzy as often."In the field of pain management, products like EEFit Lite can accurately irradiate pain points and inhibit the release of inflammatory factors. Experts verified that "10 minutes of irradiation can reduce knee pain on a pain scale from 6 to 3, with effects lasting for more than 2 hours".eefit far infrared technology can relieve insomnia by regulating nervous system functions. eefit data shows that after daily use for 2 weeks, over 80% of users experienced a 50% reduction in the time they took to fall asleep, as well as an increased duration of deep far infrared energy achieves two-way regulation of gut microbiota in an innovative manner by inhibiting the excessive proliferation of pathogens while promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and regulating the imbalance of intestinal microecology. Experimental data shows that after two weeks of intervention, the alpha diversity of gut microbiota (Chao1 index) increased by 30%, and abdominal bloating decreased by 45%.eefit first introduced far infrared technology into health management through independent technology R&D and commercialization execution, which then attracted collaboration with reputable scientific research institutions. ThisAt the forum banquet, eefit's Founder and Chairman Prof. Nick Wang remarked, "We are honoured, looking back on our eight-year partnership between eefit and the research laboratory. This period of collaboration with deep integration of industry, academia and research has not only pioneered groundbreaking research but also produced fruitful scientific and technological achievements." He emphasized that eefit has always been "user demand-oriented" at its core, by first verifying the value of technology through market research and then extending the application boundaries with the help of prominent scientific researchers to achieve a seamless connection "from lab to real life".eefit's future development focuses on three strategic directions:, they will continue to increase their investment on R&D and explore new boundaries of far infrared technology applications in more areas that impact human health; In terms of, they will strengthen partnerships with notable international scientific research institutions and accelerate the process of global adoption; In the field of, they will popularize home healthcare solutions through verified consumer-level healthcare products such as EEFit Lite, Chi Vitaliser, and Luminous Energy Helmet; and they will continue to pioneer the extension of far infrared technology in the field of health supplements, building an all-encompassing health management system of "External healthcare devices + Internal balancing nutrition".As a leading energy healthcare technology company in Hong Kong, eefit's all-encompassing health management system has been universally recognized by respected international #eefit The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About 'The 9th Young Scholars Conference on Ion Channels and Receptors & Forum on Biophysics and Innovative Drug Discovery' This forum was jointly organized by the Branch of Ion Channels & Receptors, Chinese Neuroscience Society, and Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.). It is an important academic event in China focusing on the field of ion channels and receptors. This forum has been held for eight consecutive years and is an important platform for promoting cutting-edge research, innovative drug development and cooperation, and international academic exchanges.
