Why a nuclear plant in France has shut down? The reason will SHOCK you

The Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France has been shut down after a large swarm of jellyfish blocked the filters (water intake systems) that was bring in cooling water, according to the French nuclear company, EDF. This nuclear power plant is one of the biggest in the France and uses water from a canal, which is connected to the North Sea (home to several native species of jellyfish) to keep its reactors cool.

Late on Sunday (August 10), jellyfish clogged the pumping station filters and caused reactors 2, 3, and 4 to stop automatically. Reactor 6 was also switched off soon after the previous reactors went down.

Since the remaining two units were already under maintenance, the entire nuclear plant has temporarily been shutdown and it also stopped its production. The EDF also mentioned that there was no harm or impact to any safety of the plant, staff or the environment.

Also Read - higher concentration of microscopic organisms called plankton, both phytoplankton (plant-like) and zooplankton

“Jellyfish breed faster when water is warmer, and in areas like the North Sea, the reproductive window is getting wider and wider,” said Derek Wright, a marine biology consultant with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, according to the HT.

Jellyfish are common in the North Sea during the summers (water is warmer). The Asian Moon jellyfish, first spotted in the North Sea area in 2020 and has been linked to cause similar problems at nuclear plants in China, Japan and India.

These types of species usually thrives in calm, plankton-rich waters (higher concentration of microscopic organisms called plankton, both phytoplankton (plant-like) and zooplankton) such as ports and canals and can spread worldwide by traveling in the ballast tanks(compartments on ships, submarines and other floating structures that are designed to hold water) of large vessels.