There is something of a Biblical theme to recent events, drought, a solar eclipse creating a energy dark patch and jellyfish interrupting generation.

Possibly the jellyfish are anti-nuclear by disposition, but most likely they are the latest in a long line of climate related, and unpredictable, effects. Warm water has encouraged a swarm of the jellyfish to block cooling for three reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France.

EDF has experienced this before, almost exactly a year ago, but despite exhaustive measures to stop the jelly invasion, reportedly several tonnes of the creatures merrily swam into the cooling system pumps, causing a loss of around 3GW.

Rather oddly, Greenpeace France used the incident to highlight its dislike of nuclear power (surely, they aren’t advocating a return to coal?) saying “this merely highlights the power plants' inability to cope with the consequences of climate change.”

According to Roger Spautz, nuclear campaigner for Greenpeace France and Luxembourg: "This summer has been brutal for nuclear facilities. Heatwaves are directly impacting power plants, forcing them to shut down reactors due to overheated rivers or low water levels, while jellyfish are exposing their vulnerabilities."

According to Greenpeace, a total, 13 nuclear reactors in France have already been shut down or had their output reduced since the start of the summer, whilst nuclear power makes up 70 per cent of Frances' energy consumption.

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