French Nuclear Power Plant of Civaux shut down its n°2 reactor today due to drought

Here in France, we actually have an exceptional drought since months. River flow is decreasing, thereby keeping the water supply of nuclear power plant uncertain.
Consequently, and despite what officials say, one of two reactors at the nuclear power plant Civaux has just been stopped.

Two days ago, "l'Observatoire nucléaire" – a non-government organisation that monitors France's nuclear reactors warned that the drop in water levels posed a "serious threat" to the 44 reactors. "If they were to dry up, there exists a real risk of fusion of the (reactor) cores and thus an accident comparable to the one currently under way in Fukushima (Japan)," it warned.

French drought fears cause government to set up 'surveillance cell'
The French government has created a special "surveillance cell" to monitor electricity supply amid fears a severe drought could force 44 of its nuclear reactors to cut production levels.

Many French rivers have seen water levels drop due to a drought that has struck half of the country's 100 departments or counties and which farming unions say is the worst since 1976.

Read the full article here

HA! I just won a bet! Someone I know that works nuke tech in the navy was bragging on how awesome nuclear power is and went on about how France exports all this nuclear powered energy to Europe and how safe it is. So safe a little drought is making for some headaches...

reply to post by the owlbear



And what have you win?

Joke aside, we will probably have a problem, especially when you know that Germany just decided to stopped down ALL their nuclear power plants before 2022..... without consulting the French, while they are the first country to import nuclear energy... from France

There's really something wrong here...

Thats one benefit of a drought ,sounds a bit suspect though.

reply to post by elevenaugust

Yes elevenaugust, there is something really wrong; not just in France and Germany, but in every country that is currently using nuclear fission as a power generating medium; none of the reactor designs is 100% safe, and all one has to do is examine and read the epic thread on Fukushima and the consequences for the people of Japan and the rest of the world.

The world economy is teetering on the brink of total collapse, and now, add in shortages caused by the disaster in Japan, Germany curtailing it's nuclear electrical generation with a side order of France having to possibly cut it's nuclear generation and the snowball is galloping downhill and gaining momentum;

power shortages mean brown outs and black outs; these lead to loss of production for factories, loss of wages for workers; loss of cooling during the summer; loss of perishable foods due to non-consistent refrigeration, and so on and so forth.

Is the picture becoming a little clearer now?


seeker

So is this supposed to be our WW3? Nuclear Power Plant Meltdowns?

reply to post by elevenaugust


Sorry about your dilemma...but as the old saying goes "Hell No, I won't Glow" recklessly utilizing a very toxic substance for energy and espousing its oh so safe status is arrogant to say the least. I know you didn't say this but I just have to get it out there.