Different cooling configurations for nuclear power plants could reduce reliance on the temperature or flow of a particular water source and ease problems caused by heatwaves and drought, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has said.

The Boston, US-based thinktank said extreme heat and drought are putting new pressures on energy infrastructure across Europe, including nuclear power. Each heatwave has served as a reminder that climate resilience needs to be part of energy planning.

“For nuclear power, that means understanding how changing temperatures, water availability, and other environmental conditions and regulations could affect plants over the coming decades, and then planning accordingly,” CATF said.