Jellyfish Swarms Force Massive Shutdown of French Nuclear Power Plants

Unexpected marine life swarms have compromised cooling systems, knocking 3.2 gigawatts of capacity offline across France.

France is facing a significant energy challenge this week as a massive influx of jellyfish has forced the shutdown of multiple nuclear reactors. The marine organisms, which have swarmed cooling water intake systems, have effectively crippled 3.2 gigawatts of power production—roughly one-fifth of the nation's nuclear capacity. Operators were forced to take the extreme measure of shutting down three reactors to prevent damage to the plant's delicate cooling infrastructure. This incident marks a recurring environmental challenge; remarkably, similar jellyfish swarms have overwhelmed the same …