Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant has been without external backup power for three months, leaving the plant in a “very vulnerable” state. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warns of this.
The IAEA said the plant relies on one remaining operational 750-kilovolt power line for external electricity needed for reaction cooling and other critical safety functions. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the center had four outer streamlines.
“The general situation at the site remains precarious and potentially dangerous,” Grossi said. “The fragile electrical situation at the site remains a major concern.”
The IAEA has laid out five principles, including that Zaporizhia should not be used as a military base or storage facility for weapons such as tanks and artillery that could be deployed from there. These principles also call for the security of the site’s external power supply and protection from vandalism.
And the International Atomic Energy Agency says that if the 750-kV line fails, as it did on May 22, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant will have to rely on emergency diesel generators.
A team of IAEA experts on the scene reported hearing two land mine explosions near the plant. The agency said that these “highlight the tense situation amid high speculation about imminent military action in the region.”
Russian forces have occupied the six-reactor plant since March 2022. Grossi expects to visit the power plant soon, the third time during the war.
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