Five French nuclear power plants will be allowed to discharge cooling water into rivers at higher temperatures than required by mid-September, due to a looming energy shortage, the German news channel reported on its website on August 6.  

According to a decree published in the official French gazette, the exception is intended to prevent power plants from being forced to reduce or suspend production because they do not discharge water temperatures that meet standards, the report said.  In the past, French nuclear power plants had to keep cooling water below a certain temperature to ensure that plants and animals in the river were not affected.  That rule has now been partially softened.  

Only about half of France's 56 nuclear reactors are currently operating because of maintenance work and technical problems, the report said.  Two nuclear power plants have been temporarily shut down since May because of an earlier heat wave, so as not to overheat the river.  Given the low rainfall this winter and spring, there is less water in the river, so the cooling water discharged will warm the river faster.  

Under the new law, five nuclear power plants can now emit warmer cooling water, but this will be "accompanied by more stringent environmental monitoring".  Back in mid-July, the authorities had issued exceptions to the usual water temperature requirements for the Golfish, Bligh and Saint-Albon reactors, which were then limited to three weeks.  Between now and September 11th a total of five power plants have been granted such concessions.  

Nuclear power plants in France have been shut down several times in recent years because river temperatures have risen too quickly.