Electricite de France was forced to shut four atomic reactors after a swarm of jellyfish clogged up filter drums at its Gravelines power plant.
The ¡°massive and unforeseen¡± presence of jellyfish in the filter drums of pumping stations closed four out of six reactors at Gravelines on the north coast of France, EDF said in a statement on Monday. Pumping stations for coastal nuclear plants usually draw in sea water for cooling, sometimes exposing them to marine life.
A marine heat wave is intensifying off the west coast of France, with unusually warm waters in the English Channel near Gravelines, data from Copernicus Marine Service show. Jellyfish populations can ¡°bloom¡± at such times, and France has closed several beaches in recent weeks due to invasions of the marine animals with stinging tentacles, according reports compiled by the beach information app Meduseo.
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