Situation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains vulnerable and potentially dangerous – IAEA

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been cut from external backup power supplies for three months, which makes it extremely vulnerable and dangerous in the event of a single power transmission line failure.

Source: This is mentioned in the statement of the IAEA

Details: It is noted that the ZNPP continues to rely on the only remaining operational 750 kilovolt (kV) power line for the external electricity it needs for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions.

A back-up 330 kV power line that was damaged on 1 March on the other side of the Dnipro River as seen from the Russian-controlled ZNPP still has not been repaired, with Ukraine saying that military action has prevented its experts from safely accessing the location situated in territory it controls to repair the line.

Quote: " The lack of any back-up options means that when the 750 kV line is cut – as happened most recently on 22 May – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) is forced to rely on emergency diesel generators as a last line of defence, clearly an unsustainable situation.", the IAEA emphasises.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stresses the importance of following the five principles established by the agency to protect the site during military conflict.

Quote: " One of the five concrete principles that the Director General presented to the United Nations Security Council on 30 May – aimed at preventing a nuclear accident – states that off-site power to the ZNPP "should not be put at risk" and that "all efforts should be made to ensure that off-site power remains available and secure at all times," the statement said.

The other principles outlined in Tuesday’s meeting at the UN Security Council included commitments not to launch any attacks from the plant and not to hit it; not to use it as storage or a base for heavy weapons, and to protect structures, systems and components essential to its safe and secure operation from attacks or acts of sabotage.

Grossi plans to visit the ZNPP soon, which will be his third visit there.

Reminder: Russia has not agreed to abide by the five principles outlined by Rafael Grossi on Tuesday, which are supposed to protect the the ZNPP. Ukraine, in turn, suggested adding two more principles to them.

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