Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: main power line connection lost

• The UN nuclear watchdog: the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine, which is under Russian administration, has lost contact with its final main power line.
• The largest facility in Europe, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is now dependent on a backup connection to send electricity to Ukraine’s system.
• Separately, the state nuclear enterprise of Ukraine said that just one of the station’s six reactors is now in use.

According to the UN nuclear watchdog, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine, which is under Russian administration, has lost contact with its final main power line.

The largest facility in Europe, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is now dependent on a backup connection to send electricity to Ukraine’s system.

Separately, the state nuclear enterprise of Ukraine said that just one of the station’s six reactors is now in use.

Russia and Ukraine both accuse each other of shelling the plant repeatedly, IAEA inspectors visited the nuclear plant because of worries about security.

Rafael Grossi, the agency’s chief, stated after inspecting it that “many violations” had been made to the plant’s integrity.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is still run by Ukrainian personnel and is situated in the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar. They claim that it is being used as a military base by Russian troops and that the workers are in fact being kept at gunpoint.

The IAEA said in its statement that its visit to the plant was “game-changing” because it was able to quickly and accurately learn about the most recent development.

“The agency’s experts were told by senior Ukrainian staff that the [Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s] fourth operational 750 Kilovolt (kV) power line was down,” it said.

“The three others were lost earlier during the conflict.”

A 330/750 kV backup line, however, was supplying electricity to the grid and could, if necessary, power the plant.

The main power line was briefly cut off on August 25 as well, according to the IAEA.

Local authorities who were chosen by Russia said that shelling-related “technical issues” were to blame for the most recent cut.

Separately, the state-run nuclear power company of Ukraine, Enerhoatom, reported that because of “non-stop shelling by occupying Russian forces,” reactor number five at the facility had to be disconnected from the grid.

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