Geneva: European nuclear shutdowns were linked to an extreme heatwave, not earthquakes, after operators reduced or halted output at plants in Switzerland and France.
Swiss operator Axpo said both reactors at the Beznau nuclear plant shut down after the Aare River again reached 25°C.
The company said sufficient cooling was not in sight. It added that the reactors could restart once the river cooled or authorities approved a restart plan.
Beznau, near the German border, is one of the world’s oldest nuclear plants. Reactor 1 began operating in 1969, followed by Reactor 2 in 1971.
France shuts down nuclear reactors as heatwave drives up river temperatures.
EDF says 2 reactors were taken offline to comply with environmental rules protecting rivers and aquatic wildlife.
The grid operator says there is still enough electricity to meet demand.
Source:… pic.twitter.com/9nGkhx5YgQ
— NewsForce (@Newsforce) June 27, 2026France’s main energy provider also shut down two reactors on Thursday as an environmental protection measure. The move aimed to avoid discharging excess hot water into already warming rivers.
European nuclear plants use river water for cooling. However, environmental rules limit how much heated water operators can return to rivers because high temperatures can harm fish and aquatic ecosystems.
Read: Europe Heatwave Cuts Power to Thousands in France
The shutdowns came as a heatwave pushed temperatures above 35°C for about 150 million people across western Europe.
Switzerland set a June heat record of 38.8°C in Basel, near Beznau. Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic also recorded unusually high temperatures.
The nuclear shutdown due to seismic activity was a false alarm. It said the plant actions were controlled responses to river temperatures and environmental cooling limits.
