Power supply lines at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant under repair, says IAEA
Photo: Rafael Grossi (Getty Images)
Repairs have begun on the power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after a four-week outage, according to a statement by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
"Work has begun to repair damaged off-site power lines to ZNPP after 4-week outage, following establishment of local ceasefire zones to allow work to proceed," Grossi said.
He noted that restoring external power supply is vital for nuclear safety and regional security. According to him, both sides have cooperated constructively with the IAEA to carry out the complex repair plan.
Blackout at Zaporizhzhia NPP
On September 23, Energoatom reported the tenth blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the company, the occupiers are deliberately preventing the plant from reconnecting to Ukraine’s power grid.
The only external power line linking the plant to Ukraine’s energy network stopped functioning. As a result, the plant switched to emergency power from diesel generators.
Experts warned that such a situation creates a risk of a nuclear accident, as external electricity is needed to cool the reactors. The IAEA confirmed that after the plant was disconnected from external power sources, the site remained in a critical nuclear safety situation.
For more on whether a nuclear disaster is possible at Zaporizhzhia and how the IAEA could help, see the RBC-Ukraine report.
