Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine. IAEA chief warns of falling water level in cooling pond at Zaporizhzhya NPP Peace and Security
The water level in the cooling pond at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) continues to fall. Even though all reactors remain in cold shutdown, the availability of this water is important for the plant’s nuclear safety, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
Over the past few weeks, IAEA experts at the plant have observed a steady decline in the water level in the cooling pond. ZNPP personnel confirmed that if this trend continues, pumping water out of the pond will soon become difficult. At the same time, maintaining the water level is made more difficult by the hot summer weather.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last year, ZNPP dug 11 wells to collect groundwater to supply about 250 cubic meters of cooling water per hour to the spray ponds. These reservoirs are now supplying enough water to cool all six reactor units in their current state of cold shutdown.
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During a site tour last week, the IAEA team noted that the spray ponds were functioning well, with water levels at nominal levels. Any disruption to the availability of water in the ponds could require the cooling pond to be used as a backup source.
“The decline in the cooling pond water level remains a potential source of concern, and we will continue to closely monitor and observe the situation on site to ensure that sufficient cooling water is available to meet plant needs at all times,” Grossi said.
The IAEA experts also monitored maintenance work on site last week. Much of this work is carried out by contractors. The IAEA team observed tests of emergency diesel generators in Units 5 and 6. No nuclear safety issues were identified.
Fighting near Zaporizhzhya NPP
IAEA experts continue to hear sounds of gunfire or explosions at various distances from the plant. Last week, the team also observed smoke several times far from the plant, which was reportedly caused by fires.
IAEA experts present at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs), as well as the Chernobyl NPP, reported that air raid sirens had been sounded there for several days in a row, but confirmed that nuclear safety was not threatened.