Europe’s deadly heatwave has forced the shutdown of nuclear power plants across the continent as rivers used for cooling have reached lethal temperatures, exposing the fragility of nuclear energy in an era of accelerating climate disruption. On Friday, Swiss utility Axpo confirmed that both reactors at the Beznau nuclear power plant—cooled by the Aare River—had been taken offline after the river’s temperature hit 25°C, a threshold that prevents sufficient heat dissipation . The reactors, which had already reduced output to 50% earlier in the week, were fully suspended after the river’s temperature stabilized at this critical level.

The crisis extends beyond Switzerland. In France, state-owned EDF has halted three reactors to prevent overheated discharge water from harming aquatic ecosystems, though the company downplayed the financial impact, insisting the closures would not derail its new EPR reactor projects . Meanwhile, across Europe, nuclear operators have been forced to curtail operations as rivers from the Rhine to the Rhône surge past safe cooling thresholds. The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the Iran war has further skewed energy priorities, with governments deprioritizing climate commitments in favor of energy security, accelerating a resurgence in coal use despite its climate impact .

The shutdowns underscore a paradox: nuclear power, long touted as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels, is proving increasingly vulnerable to the very climate change it aims to mitigate. The Beznau plant, which had briefly suspended operations in July 2025 due to similar conditions, now faces repeated disruptions as Europe’s heatwaves intensify. Axpo stated that without a rapid cooldown of the Aare, the reactors would remain offline indefinitely .

The crisis arrives amid broader nuclear safety concerns. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed repairs to a critical power line at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, yet warned that repeated damage to electrical infrastructure continues to pose serious risks to nuclear security . Analysts at the Atlantic Council argue that radiological threats are no longer hypothetical, urging Europe to bolster its nuclear preparedness .

As governments scramble to balance energy demand with environmental constraints, the heatwave has also triggered emergency measures in Hungary, where the government activated coordinated defense activities to manage the crisis—a move critics argue is being exploited for political gain . With no immediate relief in sight, the episode serves as a stark reminder that even the most advanced energy systems are not immune to the escalating impacts of a warming planet.

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Swiss nuclear power station shut down as river warms The two Beznau nuclear reactors in Switzerland which are cooled by water from the river Aare, have been taken off grid due to the water overheating. The energy company Axpo announced the decision on Friday. Axpo stated that the two reactors are currently in a shut-down state. The temperature of the river Aare reached 25 degrees Celcius, which does not allow sufficient cooling. The output of the two reactors had already been reduced on Tuesday – most recently to 50. According to Axpo, the temperature of the River Aare reached 25 degrees for the first time on Wednesday after the cooling water had been fully mixed. Axpo indicated that if there was no prospect of the Aare cooling down, the reactors would be shut down completely on Friday. The two reactor units on the Aare island in Döttingen had already temporarily suspended electricity production in July 2025. Translated from German, sub-edited by mga

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