A huge explosion consumed part of the Flamanville nuclear power plant in France.
A fire under the generator appears to have triggered Thursday’s blast, according to a statement by Electricite de France (EDF) Energy. The explosion occurred in a non-nuclear part of the facility, so there is no risk of radiation contamination, according to EDF.
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Emergency crews quickly extinguished the fire and no casualties were reported.
Industry regulators have shut down 20 French nuclear reactors in the wake of a scandal about sub-standard parts, spiking power prices across Europe. Investigators discovered in 2014 a reactor in northern France falsified quality control reports about parts.
France’s production of nuclear power has been steadily falling since last May, according to Reuters, largely due to a law passed by the French government last November intended to prop up solar power. The law requires the country to reduce its share of nuclear energy production from 75 percent to only 50 percent by 2025.
France currently operates 63,200 megawatts of nuclear capacity, according to the World Nuclear Association.
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