Under the threat of heatwaves, the stable operation of infrastructure in many European countries faces severe challenges. Recently, France and Switzerland have announced the temporary shutdown of two nuclear reactors each.
From the 25th to the 26th, the water temperature in the Aller River in northern Switzerland reached 25°C for two consecutive days, which is too high for cooling nuclear reactors.
Swiss energy company Axpo announced on the 26th that it has temporarily shut down two reactors at its local Beznau nuclear power plant, which is one of the oldest operating nuclear power plants in Europe. The company is continuing to monitor the water temperature. Once cooling conditions are met and approved by the authorities, plans will be made to restart the reactors.
On the 25th, Electricité de France announced that it would temporarily shut down two nuclear reactors to avoid discharging excessive warm water into rivers and protect river ecosystems. The company had already temporarily shut down one reactor on the 22nd and reduced the power output of the other two reactors. Nuclear power is France's main source of electricity, accounting for about 70% of its total power generation last year.
An increasing number of experts are warning that while extreme heat conditions are gradually shifting from 'abnormal weather' to a 'new normal', Europe is not yet ready for this.
European infrastructure in areas such as architecture, transportation, and electricity is still mostly designed and built according to climate conditions from decades or even centuries ago. The New York Times states that this makes Europe more vulnerable to damage caused by high temperatures compared to other regions that have long adapted to hot weather conditions.
