IAEA expresses “deep concern” over power outages at ZNPP

The situation with the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily occupied by Russians remains a source of “deep concern.”

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to a statement by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Grossi noted that this week ZNPP lost connection with the only backup power line for 36 hours, which emphasizes the instability of electricity supply necessary for cooling six reactors and other important nuclear safety functions.

The outage of the 330 kV transmission line on Tuesday morning, October 1, left ZNPP completely dependent on a single 750 kV line again.

Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion, it had four 750 kV lines and six 330 kV lines, which underscores how seriously nuclear safety has deteriorated since February 2022.

The IAEA reminded that since the beginning of the full-scale war, ZNPP has repeatedly experienced partial or complete power outages, which is one of the most difficult challenges to maintain nuclear safety and security during the conflict.

In total, the plant lost external power supply eight times, forcing it to temporarily rely on emergency diesel generators to provide electricity.

“The off-site power supply situation remains a deep source of concern. The loss of the 330 kV transmission line this week shows that the situation is not improving, but rather worsening,” said Grossi.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 04/10/2024