Heat is forcing Europe's nuclear power plants to reduce output

Because of the heat, nuclear power plants in Europe have to reduce their output - or be temporarily taken completely off the grid. This is causing a debate about the benefits of nuclear power in times of climate change.

The Romanian nuclear power plant Cernavoda: temporarily shut down due to insufficient cooling. Photo: AFP

Dusseldorf. The heat is pushing Europe's nuclear power plants (nuclear power plants) to their limits. France now has to reduce the output of several reactors almost every summer because the temperatures in the rivers are above the maximum permitted limit.

For the past two months, reports of nuclear power plant shutdowns have been increasing - but for the first time in other countries as well - some with dramatic consequences. On Thursday, the Romanian Energy Ministry announced that it would completely shut down the country's only nuclear power plant.

With a view to advancing climate change, nuclear energy is faced with a crucial question: How reliable are the power plants in the face of rising temperatures?