From ... in Environmental — Aug 8, 2022

Germany Rushes End Nuclear, France Breaks Rules to Keep Them Open

Germany can’t close its nuclear plants quick enough despite the surging energy crisis gripping Europe, but France is working hard to keep theirs online, temporarily setting aside green rules to keep the reactors working. France has given exemptions to some nuclear plants to avoid heat-related environmental restrictions that would entail load reductions in the present summer season weather in a bid to keep electricity production as high as possible as Europe plunges into an energy crisis. Germany Phasing Out Nuclear Power During Energy Crisis Labelled ‘Complete Nonsense’https://t.co/BJFqXhGyJ5 — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 21, 2022 Nuclear plants which use river water for cooling are normally bound by rules which prevent the water being put back into the river from being too warm, so not to harm marine wildlife. If those limits are reached, the nuclear plants have their processes slowed: they produce less heat, but also less electricity. Yet because of the stretch of good weather Europe is presently enjoying, the rivers are already warm before water is taken up for cooling. While it is still easily cool enough to do the job required, it means when the water comes out of the other side having done its job, it is degrees warmer still than when it went in, pushing the river temperature over the maximum proscribed in law. In some areas of France plants have already been slowed, with moderated plants like Golfech near Toulouse on the River Garonne now producing 300 megawatts rather than the usual 1,300 megawatts, Le Monde De L’Energie reports.

The water in the River Garonne is presently 28 degrees centigrade, the report states, which is about the same as a public swimming pool. UK to Build 8 Nuclear Power Plants, Expand Offshore Oil Production in Energy Security Pushhttps://t.co/m0F0DqhPLi — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 7, 2022 Where possible, however, the Macron government has suspended the rules, allowing plants to heat rivers more than usually permitted for the sake of keeping the lights on.

These “temporary derogations” have been granted to five plants, including Bugey near Lyon on the Rhône river, until September 11th. While it may seem alarming that nuclear plants have to reduce their production of electricity because of warm weather, particularly amid alarmist coverage in the media about the environment, the De L’Energie report notes moderating nuclear plants in the summer heat is common, although the process started earlier than normal this year. France’s fleet of nuclear power stations should, consequently, be back to normal come the winter, when energy demand is highest and many in Europe anticipate a major energy crunch — if not collapse — due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite the foreseeable winter energy crisis, the Germany government — whose nation stands to be the hardest-hit by the cutoff of Russian energy imports — is forging ahead with making sure they will have no nuclear power to fall back on this winter.

The rush to close the plants — ironically enough by Green party politicians, given how low-carbon nuclear power is — has been called “complete nonsense” by political rivals, especially given Germany has even had to resort to burning coal to keep up with demand. Gas Crisis: EU Pressures Germany to Keep Nuclear Online as Government Popularity Fallshttps://t.co/jIn78gfVLp — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 6, 2022 .

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Germany Rushes End Nuclear, France Breaks Rules to Keep Them Open

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