Europe's oldest nuclear reactor shut down due to heatwave

en.Wedoany.com Reported - A Swiss operator said on Wednesday that a reactor at Europe's oldest nuclear power plant was shut down.

This came after a heatwave sweeping across Europe caused a surge in the temperature of the river used for cooling.

Axpo, an energy company, stated on its website: "On Tuesday and Wednesday, the water temperature of the Aare River rose again to 25 degrees Celsius. Sufficient cooling conditions are not yet in sight."

As a result, the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant in northern Switzerland, near the German border, "temporarily shut down both reactors."

Axpo said that once the river temperature drops or sufficient cooling conditions are forecast, the Beznau plant can plan to restart the reactors. The company added that the restart will proceed after approval from relevant authorities.

The statement was issued as 150 million people in Western Europe were experiencing temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday, Switzerland broke its June high-temperature record for the second consecutive day.

A temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Basel, not far from Beznau, while the same weather station recorded 38 degrees Celsius the previous day, breaking a record that had stood for nearly 80 years.

Nuclear power contributes more than one-third of Switzerland's electricity generation. The country has four aging nuclear reactors, including the two at the Beznau plant.

Reactor 1 was first connected to the grid in 1969, and Reactor 2 in 1971, making the plant one of the earliest nuclear power stations to enter operation in the world.