The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is occupied by Russia, has again been cut off from the external power supply, which is essential for cooling the fuel rods. Ukrainian power plant operator Enerhoatom announced on Saturday morning that the last remaining main power line had been damaged and interrupted “due to renewed shelling by Russian troops”.
The nuclear power plant, which was shut down weeks ago, is completely without power, so diesel generators have started up automatically. The diesel reserves were sufficient for ten days of such an emergency operation, it was said. The power lines need to be repaired.
Nuclear material must be further cooled
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was shut down from the Ukrainian power grid for about two weeks in September. During the outage, power was supplied via emergency power lines and via the last of the six reactors still in operation. The last reactor was subsequently shut down for fear of a nuclear accident. However, the core material must also be cooled further after it has been switched off.
The continuation of the shelling, which hit the plant’s only external power source, was “extremely irresponsible,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi said in a statement. A protection zone urgently needs to be built around the power station. According to Grossi, he wants to negotiate with Kiev and Moscow.
Diesel stock lasts another ten days
According to the Ukrainian nuclear supervisory authority, the existing diesel reserves are sufficient for the operation of the emergency diesel generators for ten days, the climate ministry in Vienna told APA. Work is already underway to restore the external power supply. There are no elevated measurements at the nuclear power plant, which is about 1,300 km from Austria. No effects on Austria are expected either. However, the Radiation Protection Department of the Ministry of Climate Protection is monitoring further developments and will provide information about changes if necessary.
Russia has effectively controlled the nuclear power plant since early March, when Moscow’s forces occupied large parts of southern Ukraine as part of the war of aggression. The power plant has come under fire several times in recent months during fierce fighting. Ukraine and Russia blame each other. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the nuclear power plant to be nationalized as part of the illegal annexation of the occupied Ukrainian territories.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
