Overview
- EDF reported on Thursday that a mass of over 200 tonnes of jellyfish clogged seawater intake filters at the Gravelines plant and led it to take two reactor blocks fully offline and run two others at reduced power.
- No reactor at Gravelines is operating at full planned output because two additional units were already offline for other reasons, including maintenance.
- The jellyfish collected in the filters of the seawater pumping and cooling systems, which prompted precautionary shutdowns to protect plant equipment and ensure operational safety.
- EDF teamed with local partners, including France Pêche Durable, and put seven boats to work around the clock catching and relocating the animals while using detection systems to monitor the bloom.
- The company says the incident poses no risk to the power grid and that investigators are working to understand why such large, recurring jellyfish blooms have hit Gravelines, which has faced similar disruptions earlier this month and last August.