Russians impede switching Zaporizhzhia NPP Unit 5 to safe cold shutdown mode

The Russian occupiers at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have been obstructing the transfer of Zaporizhzhia NPP Unit No. 5 to a safe "cold" shutdown, which remains the only one of the plant's six units in "hot" shutdown and continues to consume scarce water from the cooling water reservoir.

Source: The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU)

Quote: "The Russian invaders do not allow the Ukrainian staff of ZNPP to transfer power unit No. 5 to a cold shutdown state, as provided for by the SNRIU order dated 8 June 2023," the SNRIU said.

Details: SNRIU Acting Head Oleh Korikov called these unlawful actions a gross violation of the legislation on the use of nuclear energy by the "fake operating organisation" and Russian occupying forces.

The report notes that this issue was discussed during the weekly communication meeting between the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) and the SNRIU on 13 June.

"I hope that during his next visit to ZNPP, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will put pressure on the Russian occupiers and convince them of the need to put Unit No. 5 into cold shutdown," Korikov said, calling the actions of the invaders another instance of nuclear blackmail.

As the inspectors stressed, the IAEA experts are also concerned and emphasise the importance of access to the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, as well as its outlet channel, and to the ZNPP cooling reservoir to better assess the situation with the nuclear power plant's water reserves after Russia blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the related leakage of the Kakhovka Reservoir, which fed the ZNPP cooling reservoir.

Background:

• On 8 June, the SNRIU arranged for the transfer of Unit No. 5 of the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a cold shutdown.
• This was caused by the loss of the primary water source for the splash pools – the Kakhovka Reservoir.
• ZNPP Unit No. 5 should be put into cold shutdown while it is possible to maintain the required cooling systems in operational mode.
• Earlier, in accordance with SNRIU orders dated 18 August 2022 and 10 February 2023, power units No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were put into cold shutdown.
• Grossi began his visit to Ukraine on 13 June, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the evening.

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