The largest nuclear station Electricity production in Western Europe has been put into complete interruption. On Sunday night (10.08.2025) and Monday morning, Units 2, 3, 4 and 6 of Gravelin Station in the north France They automatically stopped operating, “in accordance with the security and protection provisions,” as announced by the French electricity company EDF, after detecting a “mass and unpredictable” presence at seawater pumping stations used to cool reactors. The other two units, 1 and 5, are currently in maintenance.
The nuclear station, located on the north sea coast in France, has six pressure reactors with a total power of 5.5 gigavat, covering up to 70% of the annual electricity needs of the Hauts-de-France. It is foreseen to receive two new reactors (EPR2) 1,600 MW each by 2040.
In a statement, EDF assures that these breaks are “had no impact on facilities, staff safety or environment”. The station’s teams have been mobilized to perform diagnostics and interventions, with the aim of safely restarting units.
A recurring threat to coastal stations
The “attacks” of jellyfish are increasing around the world, blocking water imports into nuclear or thermal stations and causing frequently costly operations. Similar cases have been recorded in the United States, Canada, Scotland, Sweden and Japan.
According to experts, the spread of jellyfish is reinforced by overfishing, climate change and heat waves, which push them to coastal zones and industrial installations. The North Sea is currently experiencing a high -temperature episode, which could also affect the cooling of other France’s nuclear power stations.