The lack of electricity also hits in the summer. After the corrosion problems that have affected its nuclear park in recent weeks, EDF is now facing heat waves and drought. As a result, the energy company may have to lower the power of three of its plants located in the territory. These are the Goldfech (Tarn-et-Garonne) and Saint-Alban (Isère) power plants. While two of the four reactors at Tricastin (Drôme) could be closed.
“Due to high temperature forecasts in the Rhône, production restrictions are likely to affect the Tricastin nuclear production site from August 6, 2022. [ce samedi, NDLR] that a unit could stop,” said the electricity producer in a message to the markets, reported by AFP, on Wednesday, August 3.
In doubt, the dependence of these nuclear power plants on water. “Each nuclear power plant is located next to a water source (river, river or sea) to allow the operation and cooling of the different circuits,” the group recalled in a release published on June 10.
An environmental protection measure
In fact, to operate, the reactors require the extraction of water from rivers, which is then discharged into the environment, with 2 degrees more. However, the regulations impose maximum temperatures for these discharged waters in order to protect the fauna and flora and not overheat these watercourses. Compliance with this regulation regarding thermal discharges may require the power reduction of certain reactors or even their total shutdown.
Already in June, the Saint-Alban plant was operating in slow motion. “Recent episodes of heat and drought have had an impact on the temperature and flow of the Rhône,” EDF explained in a press release. “This phenomenon has led EDF, in order to comply with the regulations on thermal discharges, to occasionally reduce the production of certain units,” continues the utility.
Increasingly frequent production outages
In July, the requests for exemption to these environmental regulations presented by EDF had been granted to four plants until the end of the month. The sites of Bugey (Ain), Golfech (Tarn-et-Garonne), Blayais (Gironde) and Saint-Alban (Isère) were affected.
Still limited, these summer production drops could, however, multiply in the future. The network operator RTE estimates that they will double or triple by 2050. In its report Futures 2050 published at the end of 2021, RTE highlighted the risk of global warming and the multiplication of heat waves for the nuclear fleet.
“The existing nuclear power plants located on the banks of the river will be affected more regularly by periods of intense heat and drought: even if the volumes of energy lost remain low on an annual scale, these could affect significant powers”, could we read in this report.
The next EPR built by the sea
A risk that could be reduced by choosing the location of the new power plants. “The sensitivity of new nuclear reactors to these climatic hazards can be minimized by favoring certain sites (by the sea or rivers with weak restrictions in terms of flow rates and threshold temperature) and thanks to the imposed air coolers for future power plants on the shore. of the river”, estimated RTE.
Last February, Emmanuel Macron announced the construction of six new reactors, in the territory, for their commissioning in 2035. On November 10, 2021, the executive director of EDF, Jean-Bernard Lévy, had already announced that the site de Penly near Dieppe was chosen for the construction of Europe’s first two second-generation pressurized reactors (EPRs). The Gravelines site in the north will also host two other EPRs. As for the last reactors, their location has not yet been determined.
Source: BFM TV
