PARIS, July 24 (Reuters) - French utility EDF willcurb electricity generation at its Tricastin 2 and 4 nuclearreactors in the south of France on Thursday, which is expectedto be the hottest day in the second heatwave to hit France in asmany months.
The utility said on Wednesday it would reduce production atthe 900 megawatt (MW) Tricastin 4 reactor by 650 MW starting onWednesday night until early on Friday.
A similar level of output cut would be applied to theTricastin 2 reactor from Thursday morning until evening.
France and much of western Europe are bracing for scorchingtemperatures on Thursday due to a heatwave that could set newrecord temperatures.
EDF has been forced to reduce power output at severalnuclear reactors due to hot weather and low river levels thesepast weeks.
The utility's use of water from rivers as coolant isregulated by law to protect plant and animal life and it isobliged to cut electricity generation in hot weather when watertemperatures rise, or when river levels and the flow rate arelow.
(Reporting by Bate Felix; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)