Commodities
Home›Commodities›Energy›Europe heatwaves and nuclear constraints raise blackou…
Europe heatwaves and nuclear constraints raise blackout risk
The article notes that in Hungary, output at the Paks nuclear plant was cut to just over 10 percent after cooling conditions worsened, narrowly avoiding a total shutdown.
Europe’s energy system is being stress-tested by an unusual mix of geopolitical supply chain disruptions and extreme heat, which is pushing the power grid toward its limits and raising the risk of rolling blackouts when temperatures run dangerously high, OilPrice reports.
With Europe described as the fastest warming continent, the article says utilities and regulators are being forced to treat severe heat as a new normal and adjust power supply planning accordingly, citing comments from Zsuzsanna Pató, a power system lead for Europe at the non-profit Regulatory Assistance Project.
The nuclear sector faces particular strain because rising temperatures can force reactors offline when water used for cooling is too hot or when river levels are too low. OilPrice says many plants rely on rivers for cooling, so operators may be compelled to cut output or shut down.
Earlier in the month, Hungary reduced output at the Paks nuclear power plant to just over 10 percent and narrowly avoided a total shutdown that would have cut off 40 percent of the country’s electricity generation overnight, according to the report.