The expert warned about the consequences of the heat wave for the EU energy sector

Abnormally hot weather in Europe creates many serious problems for the energy sector of the European Union (EU). Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia on August 3.

He explained that high temperatures negatively affect the operation of hydroelectric power plants, and also affect nuclear energy, including the supply of cooling ponds, which are designed to cool the power units of nuclear power plants (NPP).

"The water level in the cooling pond is falling, and the station has to be stopped altogether, as is happening now in Hungary at the Paks station. Or the water in the cooling pond heats up too much, and it can no longer fully cool the nuclear reactor, so they either reduce the production of nuclear power plants or stop for a while," Yushkov explained.

Hot weather is often accompanied by a lack of wind, which jeopardizes the operation of wind turbines. The expert added that solar energy also malfunctions — equipment performance decreases at high temperatures. At the same time, the demand for electricity from the population is only growing — in an attempt to escape from the heat, people are using air conditioners more actively.

The shallowing of large rivers also plays an important role — many countries use them to transport coal. Carriers are forced to choose alternative routes, and the costs of coal-fired power plants are increasing due to complicated logistics.

"When energy sources are in a difficult situation, they switch back to gas. In Europe, there was even a period in the summer when they did not pump gas into an underground storage facility, but rather extracted it from there. <...> They will not be able to meet their own standards by winter, <...> which means that gas prices will be high," Yushkov said.

In addition, expensive energy provokes an increase in the cost of goods, which reduces the economic activity and trade efficiency of European producers on the world market.

"You're just becoming uncompetitive. Therefore, this is a big problem for all Europeans. And what is sold on the domestic market is starting to become more expensive, because their production costs are also increasing," the expert concluded.

It's stuffy to live: abnormal heat as a new economic norm in Europe

Temperature records on the continent are provoking a sharp increase in costs

At the end of June 2026, an abnormal heat wave swept Western European countries, primarily France and Spain, as well as Italy, Great Britain and Germany. Bloomberg reported on August 2 that Europe's heavy industry is suffering due to the drying up of the region's largest rivers amid the prolonged heat wave that has hit the continent. According to forecasts, no significant improvement in the situation with rivers in Europe is expected in the near future, the article says.

The French newspaper Le Monde reported on July 31 that a forest fire in the Gironde department had almost completely destroyed the coastal commune of Les Porges: 175 houses burned down as a result of the disaster, the flames devastated half of the 15,000 hectares of municipal territory.