Latest news with #DerekWright
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Science
- Perth Now
Nuclear power plant shuts down due to jellyfish invasion
One of Europe's biggest nuclear power stations was forced to shut down this week after an unexpected invasion - by jellyfish. The Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France, located between Dunkirk and Calais, was fully shut down on Monday (12.08.25) after a 'massive and unpredictable' swarm of jellyfish clogged its sea water intake system. The plant, which relies on water from the North Sea to cool its reactors, saw four of its six units automatically shut down just before midnight when filter drums became overwhelmed. A fifth reactor followed hours later. Each unit at Gravelines produces 900 megawatts of power, making the disruption a significant hit to the region's energy supply. Fortunately, French energy giant EDF confirmed that the incident posed no threat to staff, the environment, or the facility itself. The jellyfish didn't damage the pumps, but they will need to be removed and the filters cleaned before the reactors can be restarted. This isn't the first time the Gravelines area has seen jellyfish swarms, with similar events washing up on nearby beaches in recent years. Experts say the increase is likely due to rising sea temperatures caused by global warming, as well as the spread of invasive species. Derek Wright, a 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 ballast tanks in one port and being pumped out halfway across the globe.' He added: 'Everyone talks about nuclear being clean, but we don't think about the unintended consequences of heat pollution.'
Metro
5 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
Saba Yemen
6 days ago
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Jellyfish disrupt France's largest nuclear plant
Paris - Saba: French energy group EDF announced the complete shutdown of its Gravelines nuclear plant, the largest in Western Europe, late Monday night after a massive swarm of jellyfish clogged the cooling system pumps, shutting down four of its six reactors. The crisis began on Sunday evening when the pumping station filters were filled with an "unexpected" swarm of jellyfish, leading to the automatic shutdown of reactors 2, 3, and 4 before midnight. Reactor 6 followed suit on Monday, according to Sputnik. The other two units had previously been shut down for maintenance, leading to the complete shutdown of the plant. EDF confirmed that the automatic shutdown of the four units did not affect the safety of the facility, its workers, or the surrounding environment, noting that the plant's teams are currently working to diagnose the problem and take the necessary steps to restart the reactors safely. The Gravelines plant is located in northern France between Dunkirk and Calais and is the largest in Western Europe, with a production capacity of 900 megawatts per reactor. The plant plans to add two new reactors, each with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts, by 2040. The beaches near the plant have witnessed a significant increase in jellyfish numbers in recent years, due to rising water temperatures and the spread of invasive species. Derek Wright, a marine biologist consultant with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained that warmer waters in the North Sea are prolonging the breeding season for jellyfish, increasing their numbers. He pointed out that jellyfish, such as the Asian moon jellyfish spotted in the North Sea in 2020, can be transported via the ballast water of ships, contributing to their global spread. Wright added that these species prefer calm, plankton-rich waters, such as harbors, which pose a threat to nuclear power plants, as has previously happened in China, Japan, and India. He raised concerns about thermal pollution from nuclear plants, which could exacerbate this problem. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Gulf Today
6 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
France 24
7 days ago
- 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.
