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Heat: the Chooz nuclear power station shut down due to the too low flow of the Meuse

2020-08-24T16:43:10.776Z


A Franco-Belgian agreement, which aims to preserve the biodiversity of the river, requires the operation of the plant to be interrupted for a few days.


In the Ardennes, the Chooz power plant will shut down from this Monday evening and for several days. In question, the water flow in the river which surrounds it, the Meuse, which is too low to allow to supply the power station while respecting the regulations.

Read also: Nuclear power plant: extinguishing fires in Fessenheim

Indeed, if the daily flow of the Meuse drops on average over 12 days below 22m3 / second, a first production unit at the Chooz plant must be shut down, explains EDF. If this flow drops below 20m3 / second, the two central units must cease functioning, according to regulations resulting from an agreement between France and Belgium. The power station is located just a few kilometers from the border, on the French side, and the Meuse crosses the two countries.

This plant, composed of two reactors aged 23 and 24, with a very high power in France of 1,500 megawatts, will therefore be shut down this evening by EDF. For each nuclear power plant, a cooling system is essential and must come from a nearby water source, here the Meuse. In the case of the Chooz power station, this regulation was put in place to prevent it from pumping too much water in the event of high heat and thus disrupting the ecosystem of the river and the supply around it. , for Belgian farmers or industrialists, for example. Note, however, that a flow of 6m3 of water / second in the river would be sufficient to cool the reactors.

The shutdown of the plant should not cause disturbances, promises the Electricity transmission network (RTE). " This adaptation to climatic conditions reduces the quantity of MWh produced, but has no impact on the safety of the installations ", adds EDF, which specifies that in August, the demand for electricity is low.

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2020-08-24

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