On August 11th, local time, EDF announced that four reactor units at the Gravelines nuclear power plant on France's northern coast were shut down sequentially between the evening of the 10th and the early morning of the 11th due to a large number of jellyfish blocking the cooling system filtration equipment, triggering a protective mechanism. This caused the shutdown of four reactor units. France's largest nuclear power plant, with a total installed capacity of 5.4 GW, has been completely suspended as the remaining two units are undergoing routine maintenance.
According to EDF, the swarm of jellyfish overloaded the pumping station filtration system, but the incident did not impact the safety of the nuclear facility, personnel, or the surrounding environment. Technicians are urgently checking the equipment and preparing for a safe restart. The Gravelines nuclear power plant's coastal location makes it susceptible to marine life, but a spokesperson stated that such incidents are "very rare" and have only occurred sporadically in history.
Expert analysis indicates that rising sea temperatures caused by global warming have created favorable conditions for jellyfish reproduction. This ecological shift could increase operational risks for coastal industrial facilities. Although nuclear power plants are designed to protect against biological invasions, extreme concentrations of marine organisms could still overcome conventional defenses. This incident once again highlights the potential threat of climate change to energy infrastructure and provides an important reference for emergency response plans at similar coastal nuclear power plants.
