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U.S. Think Tank Recommends European Nuclear Power Adjust Cooling Configurations to Address High Temperatures and Drought

The U.S. Boston-based think tank Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recently stated that extreme heat and drought are placing new pressure on Europe's energy infrastructure, with nuclear power plant operations also affected. The organization believes the nuclear industry needs to place greater emphasis on climate resilience in energy planning and assess the impact of different cooling configurations on long-term plant operations. CATF noted that for nuclear power plants, temperature changes, water resource availability, environmental conditions, and related regulatory requirements over the coming decades could all affect unit operations. The selection of cooling schemes for nuclear power plants should be determined based on site-specific conditions, including local water resource availability, environmental regulations, geographical conditions...

2026-09-03

International Team Determines Critical Safety Parameter Ranges for Magnetic Liquid Cooling Systems

South Ural State University (SUSU) recently announced that researchers from its Polytechnic Institute, in collaboration with colleagues from Moscow and Baghdad, have determined the safe and unsafe ranges of the Hartmann number and Brinkman number in magnetic liquid cooling systems. Based on this, they developed a computer program to optimize the operation of high-power heat exchangers in devices such as supercomputers and nuclear reactors. According to the introduction, this research focuses on two key parameters in magnetohydrodynamics: the Hartmann number characterizes the resistance exerted by a magnetic field on fluid motion, while the Brinkman number reflects the internal heat generated by the fluid due to viscous effects and electrical resistance. The researchers noted that under specific conditions, a strong magnetic field does not necessarily...

2026-08-13

Europe's High Temperatures and Droughts Impact Nuclear Power Operations, Ukrainian Expert Says Climate Adaptation Tied to Energy Independence

Recent prolonged high temperatures, droughts, and falling river levels across Europe have put pressure on the operation of some nuclear power plants that rely on river water for cooling. Nuclear facilities in France, Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia have successively experienced power reductions or shutdowns, forcing some countries to ease supply pressure through electricity imports and adjusted consumption arrangements. Katie Huff, a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, stated that the impact of climate change on nuclear power operations is mainly reflected in two aspects: first, droughts lower river levels, making it difficult for plants to obtain sufficient cooling water; second, when air and water temperatures are high, nuclear plants face stricter restrictions on discharging warm water into rivers to avoid further affecting the aquatic environment.

2026-08-11

Rosatom Says Russian Nuclear Plants Operate Stably During Summer Heat

In response to recent operational pressures faced by foreign nuclear power plants due to high temperatures and low water levels, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, stated that Russian nuclear power plants are operating normally during the summer peak electricity demand period, with stable power generation. Likhachev said that hot weather does require nuclear plant operators to pay more attention to the condition of cooling systems, but for Russian nuclear plants, this is a normal seasonal factor. Russian nuclear power plants have incorporated significant climate fluctuations, including extreme weather scenarios, into their design and operational phases. He stated that Rosatom has experience in...

2026-08-09

Russian nuclear power plants generate 129.6 billion kWh of electricity this year

Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, recently stated that since the beginning of this year, Russian nuclear power plants have generated a cumulative total of 129.6 billion kWh of electricity, exceeding the target set by the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation by 7.8%. Likhachev noted that Russia is currently in its summer peak electricity consumption period, and nuclear power plants across the country are operating normally overall, with stable power generation and all safety requirements being met. He stated that hot weather does require operating entities to pay greater attention to cooling and heat reduction measures, but this is a seasonal factor that must be addressed in nuclear power plant operations. He pointed out that Russian nuclear power plants have fully considered different climatic conditions during their design and operation phases...

2026-08-08