High water temperatures threaten to reduce France’s already unusually low nuclear output, piling more pressure on operator EDF (EDF.PA) at a time when half its reactors are offline due to maintenance and corrosion issues. The valley between the Rhone and Garrone rivers has reached sweltering temperatures in recent days which are expected to hit around 40 degrees Celsius on Friday and remain above seasonal levels through early next week. That is a problem because river water is often used to cool reactors before being returned at a higher temperature. Reactor production is limited during times of high heat to prevent the hot water re-entering rivers from damaging wildlife. EDF has announced production restrictions at the Tricastin plant on the Rhone from […]