It produces the equivalent of 68.5% of the electricity needs of the Grand Est region… and has now seemingly turned into a huge snow cannon. This strange phenomenon can actually be explained by the functioning of the water cycle.
As several Internet users have pointed out, snow accumulations of several centimetres have been recorded in recent days in Cattenom. More, much more than the rest of the region has had.
The explanation is very simple: this snow comes from the power station. Or more precisely, from its cooling towers, which release water vapour every day.
On contact with the cold air, this vapour will turn into ice and fall back as "artificial" snow. This sometimes causes much greater falls than elsewhere in the vicinity of the power station.
Enough to puzzle some people passing by... And even the news show of the French TF1 station, which visited the site this week. However, there is no need to panic, the water emitted from the cooling towers does not come into contact with the nuclear part of the power plant's installations.
