French state-owned energy group EDF has announced the temporary shutdown of three nuclear reactors, as well as the possibility of reducing the production capacity of seven others, in a measure the company described as absolutely necessary to comply with the country's environmental standards and controls as severe heat waves intensify.

The state-owned group said the suspension was implemented yesterday, coinciding with a severe heatwave sweeping French territory, to prevent the flow of extremely hot water into waterways and rivers already suffering from sharp rises. Nuclear power plants rely mainly on water from surrounding rivers to cool their reactors, before recharging and discharging that hot water back into the riverbed.

An EDF spokesperson reassured markets and consumers that there are no risks to the nuclear safety of the plants, noting that the reactors are designed to operate efficiently in high-temperature conditions, but the current restrictions are primarily aimed at protecting wildlife, aquatic plants and animals from damage.

The volume of energy lost and the impact of drought

The temporary closure affected three major production units: the second unit at the Gulfish plant with a capacity of 1300 MW, the third unit at the Boji plant with a capacity of 900 MW, and the second unit at the Shaw plant with a capacity of 1450 MW.

Together, these three units represent a lost production capacity equivalent to 3.65 gigawatts, accounting for about 6 percent of France's total installed nuclear fleet of about 61 gigawatts.

According to weather schedules and organizational estimates, it was decided to continue the closure of the "Boogie" unit until July 19, and the "Golfish 2" unit until July 22, while the "Sho 2" unit will be suspended until July 25, with the possibility of reviewing these dates according to weather developments.

To address the shortfall, the French Ministry of Economy has issued a temporary exemption that allows exceeding the limits allowed for the heating of the Rhône River in the vicinity of the "Bogie" plant to ensure the stability and security of the national power grid.

Alternative coping strategy: Despite repeated pauses as a result of the country's third heatwave since last May, EDF has downplayed the overall long-term impact of the drought, revealing that annual production losses due to warming and decreasing river flows have averaged only 0.3% since 2000. To secure the future, the company has developed a comprehensive climate change adaptation plan in early 2026 at an estimated cost of €8.7 billion over the next 15 years, to strengthen the resilience of nuclear, hydroelectric and island networks to extreme weather events.