France shuts down 3 nuclear reactors as heat wave strains energy sector

France's state-owned utility EDF shut down two additional nuclear reactors on Thursday as an intense heat wave grips the country, bringing the total number of reactors taken offline because of high temperatures to three.

Reactors at the Bugey nuclear power plant in eastern France and the Nogent-sur-Seine plant northeast of Paris were shut down due to environmental conditions, EDF said, Franceinfo reported.

The latest closures follow the shutdown earlier this week of a reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France.

EDF said the measures were taken to comply with environmental regulations limiting the warming of rivers used to cool nuclear facilities.

The company also announced that production from a reactor at the Saint-Alban nuclear power plant would be reduced.

During periods of extreme heat, rising river temperatures can force operators to reduce or suspend electricity generation to prevent cooling water discharged from nuclear plants from raising water temperatures beyond regulatory limits designed to protect aquatic ecosystems.

France's 57 nuclear reactors are subject to strict environmental thresholds governing the temperature of nearby rivers.

Regulations at the Golfech plant require that the temperature of the Garonne River not exceed 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) after cooling water is discharged.

At Nogent-sur-Seine, rules require that the temperature of the Seine River not rise by more than 3C downstream of the plant and remain below 28C on average.