The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is considering options for suspending the operation of the Large Hadron Collider if necessary. This was reported on Sunday by The Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing the head of the CERN Energy Management Commission, Serge Claudet.
In particular, plans are underway to shut down some particle accelerators during periods of peak power demand in the region. CERN is also exploring how the collider could be suspended if necessary, the paper says.
“We are concerned about the stability of the power system, we are doing everything we can to prevent a blackout in our region,” Claudet said.
The organisation is trying to keep the collider running to avoid a sudden shutdown, given that the device costs $4.4 billion.
CERN is discussing a scenario with the electricity supplier, the French company EDF, in which the operator would give a day’s notice to reduce consumption. This would shut down the other accelerators and reduce power consumption by 25%.
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