Heatwave Forces French Nuclear Reactors to Shut Down, an Industrial Info Market Brief

As Europe continues to struggle through a major heat wave, French energy giant Electricite de France SA (EPA:EDF) (Paris, France) in a precautionary move has temporarily idled four of its nuclear reactors. The four reactors in three power plants near the Rhine and the Rhone Rivers, including Fessenheim, have had to be idled to avoid overheating the rivers. Nuclear power plants utilize water from the rivers to cool down the temperatures of their reactors before sending the water back into the rivers. Rivers that are unusually warm can experience mass fish die-offs, which has happened in Germany in recent days.