The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant could face a station blackout within roughly 10 days if external power is not restored or additional diesel fuel is delivered, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week.
The plant has been without off-site power since Aug. 20, when military activity damaged its connection to the 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna-1 line, its only remaining external power connection, the nuclear watchdog’s Aug. 29 press release said. The plant is relying on emergency diesel generators to provide electricity for essential safety functions, including cooling its six reactors and spent fuel pools.
As of Friday morning Sept. 4, the IAEA had not issued an update on the situation.
The IAEA said that the plant has approximately 10 days of diesel fuel available, which represents the minimum regulatory requirement. The agency’s team at the site inspected most of the plant’s 20 emergency generators and observed recent transfers of several dozen tonnes of diesel from two nearby locations.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said reliable external power and secure supply routes are “indispensable” for nuclear safety and security. The agency is working to establish a local ceasefire zone to allow repairs to the Ferosplavna-1 line, which would restore off-site power.
The plant also reported three drone attacks this week, including one near the cooling pond that injured two employees and another involving the dry spent nuclear fuel storage area. Radiation levels at the site remain normal, according to the IAEA.
Other Ukrainian nuclear facilities also reported air raid alarms and drone activity over the past week, underscoring the continuing security risks to the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
