EDF

EDF says more than 200 tonnes of jellyfish appeared at Gravelines; two of six reactor units were shut down as a precaution and two others operated at reduced power. The animals clogged filters of the seawater pump station; the two remaining units were already out of regular operation due to maintenance. EDF is using monitoring measures and boats to remove the jellyfish; the causes are unclear, and there is no risk to the power system. » More on finanzen.net

EDF projects that UK household energy bills will remain stubbornly high into 2030 even if wholesale prices moderate, citing growing non-commodity costs such as grid upgrades, renewables contracts and carbon charges. The company urges Ofgem to publish a medium-term independent outlook and a strategic review of the £70bn transmission programme to improve transparency and assess value for money. EDF also highlights risks from rising supplier bad debts and says clearer price signals are needed so households and businesses can plan investments like heat pumps. » More on theguardian.com

A swarm of jellyfish blocked the seawater intake filters at the Gravelines nuclear plant, causing EDF to shut down three reactors completely and sharply reduce output at a fourth. Combined with earlier heat-related outages, the company has already lost more than 15% of its capacity, straining power supplies and driving up prices. Ongoing heatwaves and drought threaten more units, while experts increasingly point to solar, wind and storage and structural weaknesses in EDF’s ageing, financially strained fleet are becoming apparent. » More on zeit.de