Gentilly Fish Protection Ice Boom
Gentilly Fish Protection Ice Boom
In 2005, an Ice Boom was designed and deployed at the outlet canal of the Gentilly Nuclear Power Station. The purpose of the Ice Boom is to prevent the ice drifts from being blown into the outlet channel, in order to prevent the accidental crushing of fish by floating ice drifts.
Warm water released at the outlet would attract many fish to this area, making them vulnerable to the ice drifts.
It is known that nuclear power stations use the cold water from the river as a heat exchanger to cool the station. The problem was that the warm water released at the outlet would attract many fish to this area, making them vulnerable to the ice drifts. The wind occasionally blows large amounts of broken ice to the outlet channel. This in tandem with tide fluctuations of up to 4m, and the fact that the outlet channel is generally very shallow at low tide, poses a threat to the fish, as they can be crushed by the accumulated ice in the outlet canal.
Key Challenge
Warm water released at the outlet would attract many fish to this area, making them vulnerable to the ice drifts.
Solution
The purpose of the Ice Boom is to prevent the ice drifts from being blown into the outlet channel, in order to prevent the accidental crushing of fish by floating ice drifts.
Outcome
Since the boom was installed, there have been no occurrences of fish casualties due to ice drifts.