EDF's Cruas 4 reactor offline after automatic shutdown

The EDF logo at the company's headquarters in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - EDF took its 900 megawatt (MW) Cruas 4 reactor in southern France offline Friday morning after an automatic shutdown in accordance with safety and protection systems, the power utility said in an online note.

Teams are currently mobilised to determine the cause of the outage, EDF said.

It said the shutdown had no impact on the safety of the facilities or the environment, and said it is in regular discussions with the French nuclear safety authority.

The reactor is expected back online Saturday, data from grid operator RTE showed.

French nuclear availability is currently at a much reduced 42% of installed capacity. [POWER/FR]

(Reporting by Forrest Crellin; editing by Jason Neely)