French energy giant EDF reported on 11/8/2025 that its Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France had to shut down 4 reactors due to a swarm of jellyfish being sucked into the filtering system of the pumps used for reactor cooling.
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The Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France. Photo: Reuters |
The Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France. Photo: Reuters
EDF stated that three reactors automatically shut down on the evening of 10/8 when the filter drums of the pumping station became clogged due to a "sudden and massive" influx of jellyfish. A fourth reactor was shut down early on 11/8 for the same reason. The company added that the incident did not affect the safety of the plant, its staff, or the surrounding environment.
EDF said, "Teams at the plant have been mobilized and are currently assessing the situation and working to restart the reactors with absolute safety".
The incident resulted in a complete shutdown of the Gravelines plant, as the remaining two reactors were already offline for scheduled maintenance. Gravelines is the largest nuclear power plant in western Europe, with 6 reactors, each with a capacity of 900 MW. The plant is scheduled to bring two new-generation reactors online, each with a capacity of 1,600 MW, by 2040.
Several species of jellyfish are native to the North Sea and frequently appear near the Gravelines nuclear power plant during the summer months when the seawater is warmer.
Ngoc Anh (AFP, Reuters)
