Kick Nuclear newsletter, September edition

Posted: 1st September 2026

Here is the current edition of Kick Nuclear, pasted below not properly formatted and attached for printing back-to-back properly formatted for printing back-to-back

Comments, criticism and letters to the editor are always welcome as are any relevant information and items to be considered for publicarion.

And new subscribers would be particularly welcome – it’s free!

David.

SUMMER NUCLEAR SHUTDOWNS!

In recent hot summers, some nuclear power plants in Europe have had to be shut down for periods because of lack of availability of sufficient water to keep operating reactors, which require a copious and continuous supply of water to prevent from over-heating, with the possibility of a nuclear melt-down as occurred at Chernobyl and Fukushima.

This problem is exacerbated by increasing temperatures caused by global warming and with drought onditions such as experienced this summer in Europe.

The worst hit are power stations that draw their water from rivers, since in hot dry summers river-levels drop and may well reach a point where they can’t supply enough water to keep the plant safe.

This is a particular problem in France, where 39 of its 57 operable reactors (across 19 sites) draw their water from rivers or lakes. (This contrasts with the UK which currently has only 9 operable reactors at 5 sites, all of which draw their cooling water from the sea.)

So, this summer France has been forced to temporarily shut down and reduce power at multiple nuclear reactors due to extreme heatwaves and severe drought meaning a lack of water for keeping the reactors operating. Indeed the state-owned company EDF has had to carry out shutdowns and power reductions well above the level at which a melt-down might occur. This to comply with strict environmental regulations designed to protect aquatic ecosystems. When river levels drop too low or water temperatures rise too high, discharging hot water back into the environment can devastate local fish and wildlife. Altogether 13 reactors in France suffered shutdowns or severe power reductions this summer for such environmental reasons.

Historically low water levels in the Danube this summer have affected nuclear plants in three countries. Romania was forced to fully shut down its only functioning reactor which previously produced 10% of the country’s electricity. Hungary’s only operating nuclear power plant, at Paks, which supplied nearly half the country’s electricity, was shut down because the plant’s water suction nozzles could no longer reach the water level to suck it in. In Bulgaria, its only operating nuclear power plant, a two-reactor one, at Kozloduy which supplied up to 40% of Bulgaria’s electricity was not shut down but reduced its power output for the first time in its history.

In Switzerland the nuclear plant at Breznau which operates half of Switzerland’s four nuclear reactors draws its water from the river Aare. It normally supplied about 10% of Switzerland’s electricity, but had to shut down several times in June and July because of the low river level.

In Slovenia, its sole nuclear power plant at Krško did not completely shut down this year, but reduced its reactor output by 20% because of low levels of water in the river Sava from which it draws its water. Krško normally produces up to 40% of Slovenia’s electricity.

Such problems were of course avoided by countries in Europe that have closed down all their nuclear power plants, such as Italy as long ago as 1990 and Germany in 2023.

There is every likelihood that an increasing number of similar shutdowns will be required in future summers as global warming is set to increase.

The irony is that all this increasingly powerful sunshine, instead of reducing electricity output from nuclear power stations could be used to produce electricity much more cheaply by switching investing from the building and maintenance of nuclear plants to that of solar panels.

THE SELLAFIELD PROBLEM 

Most of the radioactive nuclear waste produced by nuclear power stations in the UK ends up at Sellafield in Cumbria, giving it the reputation of being the most hazardous nuclear site in Europe. The build up of such waste continues with waste from currently operating and future nuclear power stations. The site indeed is said to store more radioactive waste per square metre than any nuclear facility in the world, resulting from decades of military and civilian nuclear activity since 1959.

Much of the waste is stored in old and decaying open-air storage ponds & buildings. Leaks of radioactive liquid from these constructions into the ground have occurred and they will need to be monitored and managed for at least as long as Sellafield remains a nuclear waste dump. A total clean-up and decommissioning of the site is predicted to take more than a century and cost tens of billions of pounds.

This requires somewhere else to store at least the most highly radioactive material such as “spent” nuclear fuel rods removed from power stations which will continue to be radioactive for tens of thousands of years.

The government plans for what to do with this most deadly waste involves storing it in a deep storage facility. This leaves many many future generations with the problem of monitoring the storage facility to make sure it doesn’t break open, perhaps as the result of earth movements and, if it does, repairing or replacing it.

The government has tried to find the site for a deep storage facility for years, but, not surprisingly, communities are very unwilling to allow such a depository in their areas. Presently the government is still looking for “suitable site and a willing community” to host a deep depository for the waste, but so far have had no takers

SMRs: LOSS OF CONFIDENCE 

It was reported in August that a total of $30.3bn has been wiped off the collective market value of three major companies intending to build SMRs (small modular reactors) since the value reached a peak in October last year.

Three companies, US-listed NuScale Power, Nano Nuclear and Oklo are currently loss making, having little or no revenue, but their value surged last year as investors raced to capitalise on growing interest in nuclear energy among those looking for new sources of power.

The collapse is reported as due to growing concerns over the lack of immediate revenue from the projects and the long time required for developing the technology for and building SMRs.

Adam Stein, director of nuclear energy innovation at the Breakthrough Institute, a climate and energy think-tank, is reported as commenting that “The stocks were overinflated in price, based on speculation,”

RULING AGAINST HINKLEY C

A London tribunal ruled in August that EDF’s subsidiary company NNB Generation Company, responsible for Hinkley Point C, must respond to requests for information about the power station’s cooling water intake, environmental protection measures and possible environmental compensation. Fish Legal, who brought the case are concerned that fish and other sea creatures will be sucked into Hinkley’s nuclear reactors when operating, with a large intake from the Severn Estuary needed to keep the reactors cool, and are hoping to get EDF to arrange a means of preventing fish being sucked in.