Cooling towers in the Mochovce Nuclear power plant. (source: TASR)
On Thursday last week, the temperature in Slovakia rose to 40 degrees Celsius for the third time in history.
During hot weather, trains have to slow down as the heat can warp rails. Bratislava Airport checks both runways every three hours to make sure they have not been damaged by the heat.
High temperatures affect the functioning of nuclear power plants and construction sites, where non-compliance with procedures could lead to serious damage to supporting structures.
Nuclear plants have to be cooled
Is the steam above the cooling towers of nuclear power plants clearly visible and dense with a deep white colour? This means that the water used in the cooling process of electricity production is at a higher temperature than usual.
Both Slovak nuclear power plants draw water from rivers. The plant in Jaslovské Bohunice relies on water from the Sĺňava reservoir on the river Váh, the Mochovce plant drawing water from the Veľké Kozmálovce reservoir on the river Hron.
Firstly, the water drawn is adjusted to the required quality and only then travels to the cooling circuit. Only a small volume enters the system, replacing the water that evaporates through the towers.
