Overwhelming jellyfish population results in France's principal nuclear power plant temporarily halting operations.
In a surprising turn of events, a nuclear power plant in northern France, specifically Gravelines, was temporarily shut down on Monday due to a swarm of jellyfish clogging the pumps used to cool the reactors.
The automatic shutdowns affected reactors 2, 3, 4, and later 6 at the Gravelines nuclear plant. The Asian Moon jellyfish, native to the Pacific Northwest, has caused similar problems before in ports and at nuclear plants in China, Japan, and India.
The Gravelines nuclear plant, Western Europe's largest with six reactors, each with the capacity to produce 900 megawatts, is located near beaches that have become hotspots for migrants attempting to cross into Britain. The cities of Dunkirk and Calais are located near Gravelines.
The increase in jellyfish is attributed to warming waters and the introduction of invasive species. In 2020, an invasive species known as the Asian Moon jellyfish was first sighted in the North Sea. Climate change is warming oceans, creating optimal conditions for jellyfish to thrive and reproduce rapidly. Overfishing reduces jellyfish predators and competitors, while agricultural runoff causes low-oxygen “dead zones” that favor jellyfish survival. Plastic waste provides breeding surfaces near coastlines.
The filter drums of the pumping stations at Gravelines became packed with a "massive and unpredictable" swarm of jellyfish. The beaches around Gravelines have seen an increase in jellyfish in recent years. The Asian Moon jellyfish prefers still water with high levels of animal plankton, often found in ports and canals.
Jellyfish blooms—rapid surges in jellyfish populations—can result in millions of these creatures being sucked into the cooling intake pipes, clogging filters and screens within minutes. This interrupts water flow essential for reactor cooling, risking overheating and forcing automatic reactor shutdowns to protect the plant’s safety systems. Dead jellyfish also transform into a gel that can bypass screens and disrupt deeper cooling components, complicating cleanup efforts which can take up to two days and pose a stinging hazard to workers.
The nuclear plant near Gravelines is currently fully shut after the incident, with its two other units already offline for maintenance. EDF, the French utility that operates the Gravelines plant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The invasive jellyfish found near Gravelines do not have a poisonous sting.
Similar occurrences have been reported in other countries, including Scotland and Sweden. In Scotland, the Torness plant shut down in 2021 after jellyfish clogged its seawater cooling intake, reflecting a similar vulnerability in the UK. In Sweden, the Oskarshamn plant, which houses the world's largest boiling-water reactor, was forced to close in 2013 due to jellyfish.
As global temperatures continue rising and marine ecosystems degrade, jellyfish blooms are expected to increase, making nuclear plant shutdowns due to jellyfish clogging a recurring and costly risk worldwide.
References:
[1] BBC News. (2022, August 2). Jellyfish clog cooling system at French nuclear plant. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62369620
[2] The Guardian. (2022, August 2). Jellyfish swarm shuts down French nuclear power plant. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/02/jellyfish-swarm-shuts-down-french-nuclear-power-plant
[3] France 24. (2022, August 2). Jellyfish clog French nuclear plant cooling system. France 24. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220802-jellyfish-clog-french-nuclear-plant-cooling-system
[4] Science Daily. (2022, August 2). Jellyfish blooms pose operational threat to nuclear power plants. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220802161621.htm
[5] Nuclear Energy Insider. (2022, August 2). Jellyfish shut down French nuclear power plant. Nuclear Energy Insider. https://www.nuclearinsider.com/articles/2022/08/jellyfish-shut-down-french-nuclear-power-plant/
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