Ukraine nuclear plant loses external power amid ongoing shelling
IAEA chief to travel to Moscow ‘soon’ in bid for protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia facility.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has lost its last remaining external power sources amid renewed shelling and now relies on emergency generators for “essential nuclear safety and security functions,” the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said on Saturday.
The 750 kilovolt (kV) power line supplying energy to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was cut at around 1 a.m. local time because of continued attacks, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday.
“The resumption of shelling, hitting the plant’s sole source of external power, is tremendously irresponsible. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant must be protected,” Grossi said.
The site is now relying on emergency diesel generators to provide cooling and safety operations for Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear reactors. The IAEA says that each of the plant’s six diesel generators in use has sufficient fuel for at least 10 days.
In the meantime, Zaporizhzhia engineers have begun work to repair the damaged 750 kV power line.
Grossi added that he would “soon” travel to Russia in a bid to agree on a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant, something the IAEA has been calling for since early September when the site was cut off from external electricity supplies.
“This is an absolute and urgent imperative,” Grossi said.
The 750 kilovolt (kV) power line supplying energy to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was cut at around 1 a.m. local time because of continued attacks, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday.
“The resumption of shelling, hitting the plant’s sole source of external power, is tremendously irresponsible. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant must be protected,” Grossi said.
The site is now relying on emergency diesel generators to provide cooling and safety operations for Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear reactors. The IAEA says that each of the plant’s six diesel generators in use has sufficient fuel for at least 10 days.
In the meantime, Zaporizhzhia engineers have begun work to repair the damaged 750 kV power line.
Grossi added that he would “soon” travel to Russia in a bid to agree on a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant, something the IAEA has been calling for since early September when the site was cut off from external electricity supplies.
“This is an absolute and urgent imperative,” Grossi said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.