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Metro
6 days ago
- Science
- Metro
Nuclear power plant forced to shut down after jellyfish infestation
One of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe was forced to shut down after some unusual visitors. Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France was fully shut down on Monday after a 'massive and unpredictable' swarm of jellyfish entered the plant's pumping stations. The power station, located between the cities of Dunkirk and Calais, is connected to the North Sea via a canal, which pumps in sea water to cool its reactors. Its six units produce 900megawatts of power each – but four of them were forced to halt production over the jellyfish invasion. Data from EDF, which runs the power plant, showed the other two units were already offline for planned maintenance. The power company said it did not know what species of jellyfish was involved in the shutdown, but that its staff are working to restart the reactor safely. Reactors 2-4 stopped automatically just before midnight when the filter drums of the pumping stations became packed with the swarm, with reactor 6 going offline several hours later. EDF said the event did not affect the safety of the facilities, staff or the environment. It's understood the filter pumps haven't been damaged, and that they simply need to be cleaned and the jellyfish removed before the reactors can restart. This isn't the first time the Gravelines area has seen swarms of jellyfish, with swarms washing up on beaches there several times in recent years. The increase is likely due to water temperatures rising thanks to global warming, as well as the introduction of invasive species. Derek Wright, marine biology consultant with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained: 'Jellyfish breed faster when water is warmer, and because areas like the North Sea are becoming warmer, the reproductive window is getting wider and wider. 'Jellyfish can also hitch rides on tanker ships, entering the ships' ballast tank in one port and often getting pumped out into waters halfway across the globe. More Trending 'Everyone talks about nuclear being clean, but we don't think about the unintended consequences of heat pollution.' While it's not known what species of jellyfish was sucked into the Gravelines cooling system, one invasive species known as the Asian Moon jellyfish was first spotted in the North Sea in 2020. The species, native to the Pacific Northwest, has caused similar problems at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India. Asian Moon jellyfish are not considered dangerous as their sting is incredibly mild and causes very little harm to humans. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Readers discuss Gaza protest arrests, Trump's walk, and nuclear safety MORE: Houses destroyed and thousands evacuated after wildfires rage across Europe MORE: Farmer who sprayed manure on hundreds of squatting campers speaks out
Saudi Gazette
7 days ago
- Science
- Saudi Gazette
Jellyfish force shutdown of France's Gravelines nuclear plant after clogging cooling system
PARIS — Four reactors at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant were forced to shut down late on Sunday after a surge of jellyfish clogged its cooling system, energy operator EDF confirmed on Monday. The shutdown, which comes amid rising water temperatures linked to global warming, has temporarily halted all power generation at the site, as its remaining two units were already offline for scheduled maintenance. Located on the northern coast between Dunkirk and Calais, Gravelines is one of France's largest nuclear facilities, with six units capable of producing a combined 900 megawatts of electricity. The plant is cooled through a canal connected to the North Sea, an area that has seen growing jellyfish populations in recent years due to warming seas and the spread of invasive species. The Asian Moon jellyfish, an invasive species first detected in the North Sea in 2020, flourishes in calm, plankton-rich waters such as ports and canals, and has a history of causing disruptions at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India. EDF has not confirmed whether this species was responsible for the latest to EDF, reactors 2, 3 and 4 shut down automatically just before midnight after "massive and unpredictable" numbers of jellyfish filled the pumping station's filter drums. Reactor 6 was taken offline a couple hours operator said the filter pumps were undamaged but needed cleaning before operations could stressed that the incident posed no risk to the plant's safety, staff or the environment and teams were working to restart the reactors as soon as jellyfish involved are not considered dangerous to humans, as they lack a venomous sting. — Euronews
Gulf Today
7 days ago
- Science
- Gulf Today
Swarm of jellyfish shuts French nuclear plant
Four reactors at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant were shut down late on Sunday due to a swarm of jellyfish in the cooling systems, operator EDF said on Monday, likely due to rising water temperatures because of global warming. The plant in northern France is one of the largest in the country and cooled from a canal connected to the North Sea. Its six units produce 900 megawatts of power each, or 5.4 gigawatts in total. The entire plant has now temporarily halted production as the other two units are offline for planned maintenance, EDF data showed. There is no damage to the filter pumps; they just need to be cleaned, said a source with knowledge of the matter, suggesting the reactors will be able to restart quickly. The beaches around Gravelines, between the major cities of Dunkirk and Calais, have seen an increase in jellyfish in recent years due to warming waters and the introduction of invasive species. 'Jellyfish breed faster when water is warmer, and because areas like the North Sea are becoming warmer, the reproductive window is getting wider and wider,' said Derek Wright, marine biology consultant with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'Jellyfish can also hitch rides on tanker ships, entering the ships' ballast tank in one port and often getting pumped out into waters halfway across the globe,' he said. An invasive species known as the Asian Moon jellyfish, native to the Pacific Northwest, was first sighted in the North Sea in 2020. The species, which prefers still water with high levels of animal plankton like ports and canals, has caused similar problems before in ports and at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India. 'Everyone talks about nuclear being clean, but we don't think about the unintended consequences of heat pollution,' Derek said. EDF said it did not know the species of jellyfish involved in the shutdown, and that teams were working to restart the reactor safely. Reactors 2, 3, and 4 at Gravelines stopped automatically just before midnight when the filter drums of the pumping stations became packed with a 'massive and unpredictable' swarm of jellyfish, and reactor 6 went offline several hours later, the EDF notice said. The event did not affect the safety of the facilities, staff or the environment, it said. The nuclear plant is also near beaches that have become hotspots for migrants attempting to cross into Britain. The invasive jellyfish are not considered a threat, as they do not have a poisonous sting. Reuters
Euronews
11-08-2025
- Science
- Euronews
Jellyfish surge forces shutdown of France's Gravelines nuclear plant
Four reactors at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant were forced to shut down late on Sunday after a surge of jellyfish clogged its cooling system, energy operator EDF confirmed on Monday. The shutdown, which comes amid rising water temperatures linked to global warming, has temporarily halted all power generation at the site, as its remaining two units were already offline for scheduled maintenance. Located on the northern coast between Dunkirk and Calais, Gravelines is one of France's largest nuclear facilities, with six units capable of producing a combined 900 megawatts of electricity. The plant is cooled through a canal connected to the North Sea, an area that has seen growing jellyfish populations in recent years due to warming seas and the spread of invasive species. The Asian Moon jellyfish, an invasive species first detected in the North Sea in 2020, flourishes in calm, plankton-rich waters such as ports and canals, and has a history of causing disruptions at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India. EDF has not confirmed whether this species was responsible for the latest incident. According to EDF, reactors 2, 3 and 4 shut down automatically just before midnight after "massive and unpredictable" numbers of jellyfish filled the pumping station's filter drums. Reactor 6 was taken offline a couple hours later. The operator said the filter pumps were undamaged but needed cleaning before operations could resume. EDF stressed that the incident posed no risk to the plant's safety, staff or the environment and teams were working to restart the reactors as soon as possible. The jellyfish involved are not considered dangerous to humans, as they lack a venomous sting.
France 24
11-08-2025
- Science
- France 24
Jellyfish swarm forces France's largest nuclear plant to shut down
A nuclear plant in northern France was temporarily shut down on Monday after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the reactors, energy group EDF said. Reactors 2, 3, and 4 at Gravelines stopped automatically just before midnight when the filter drums of the pumping stations became packed with a "massive and unpredictable" swarm of jellyfish, and reactor 6 went offline several hours later, the operator of the Gravelines nuclear plant 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. The plant is fully shut after the incident, with its two other units already offline for maintenance. Three of the production units automatically shut down late Sunday evening, followed by a fourth early Monday morning, said EDF. "The plant's teams are mobilised and are currently carrying out the necessary diagnostics and interventions to restart the production units in complete safety," EDF said. Gravelines is Western Europe 's largest nuclear power plant with six reactors, each with the capacity to produce 900 megawatts. The plant is due to open two next-generation reactors, each with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts, by 2040. The beaches around Gravelines, between the major cities of Dunkirk and Calais, have seen an increase in jellyfish in recent years due to warming waters and the introduction of invasive species. "Jellyfish breed faster when water is warmer, and because areas like the North Sea are becoming warmer, the reproductive window is getting wider and wider," said Derek Wright, marine biology consultant with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. "Jellyfish can also hitch rides on tanker ships, entering the ships' ballast tank in one port and often getting pumped out into waters halfway across the globe," he said. An invasive species known as the Asian Moon jellyfish, native to the Pacific Northwest, was first sighted in the North Sea in 2020. The species, which prefers still water with high levels of animal plankton like ports and canals, has caused similar problems before in ports and at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India. "Everyone talks about nuclear being clean but we don't think about the unintended consequences of heat pollution," Derek said. EDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The nuclear plant is also near beaches that have become hotspots for migrants attempting to cross into Britain. The invasive jellyfish are not considered a threat, as they do not have a poisonous sting.
