A surge in jellyfish population prompted the temporary closure of multiple reactor units at the Gravelines nuclear power station in northern France, located between Dunkirk and Calais in the Hauts-de-France region. Two units were shut down on Wednesday and Thursday following the discovery of jellyfish in the facility’s seawater filtration system, which is essential for cooling operations. A third unit had already been offline since 10 August due to the same issue, while a fourth unit remained closed for scheduled maintenance.
Electricité de France (EDF) reported that three units were now offline at the facility. Unit three had been reconnected to the grid on 18 August following an earlier wave of jellyfish earlier in the month, only to require shutdown again. Meanwhile, two other operating units were running at reduced capacity as a precautionary measure to minimize the risk of similar disruptions. Each of the station’s six units has a generating capacity of 900 megawatts.
The Gravelines facility experienced a comparable incident approximately one year prior, when jellyfish similarly affected cooling systems. The station draws cooling water from a canal connected to the North Sea. Jellyfish activity intensifies during warmer months, as elevated water temperatures increase plankton concentrations at the surface, which attracts jellyfish to shallow waters. Several jellyfish species are naturally occurring in the region.
To mitigate jellyfish-related disruptions, authorities have implemented preventative measures, including a collaborative effort with local fishermen to capture and relocate jellyfish to deeper offshore areas. Similar incidents have occurred at other nuclear facilities internationally, including Scotland’s Torness plant in 2011 and Sweden’s Oskarshamn facility in 2013, though such occurrences remain uncommon in the industry.
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