France’s Golfech Nuclear Power Plant has been shut down due to environmental restrictions linked to the ongoing heatwave.

Axar.az reports, citing Sud-Ouest, the facility was taken offline shortly before midnight on June 22 to prevent further warming of the Garonne River, whose water is used to cool the reactors.

The plant’s first reactor has been offline for maintenance since May. The second reactor was shut down in anticipation of river temperatures reaching 28°C, the maximum level permitted under environmental regulations governing the plant’s water discharges.

French energy company EDF said such measures are necessary to protect aquatic ecosystems during periods of extreme heat.

It should be noted that France has placed 54 departments under its highest heat alert level amid an exceptional heatwave affecting much of the country.