ZNPP is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world. ZNPP undergoes rotation of IAEA experts, explosions still heard near the plant Peace and Security
This week, a new team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) crossed the front line and went to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), replacing colleagues who had been monitoring nuclear safety at the site for the past few weeks.
This is the 25th IAEA mission to ZNPP. The Agency has been monitoring the plant since September 2022. A few months later, similar IAEA rotation missions were established at four other nuclear facilities in Ukraine – the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chernobyl site. Last week, there was also a rotation of teams at three operating NPPs, which currently provide the bulk of electricity supplies to populated areas in Ukraine.
“We will remain at these sites for as long as necessary to help prevent the threat of a nuclear accident that could have serious consequences for human health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond. As the nuclear safety situation remains challenging, our experts continue to play a vital stabilizing role at all these sites,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
IAEA teams are assessing the safety situation at the five sites, providing relevant information to the international community, and implementing a comprehensive technical support programme for Ukraine.
At Zaporizhzhya NPP, Unit 1 was returned to cold shutdown mode on November 2 after successful completion of welding and radiographic tests on one of the leak pulse lines, as reported last week. The plant is continuing to analyze the cause of the defect, which did not have a direct impact on nuclear safety.
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Last week, IAEA team members examined the current power supply configuration at Zaporizhzhya NPP, which continues to raise serious concerns. The experts were informed that two backup transformers had resumed operation following successful high-voltage tests in late October, and that maintenance on the four remaining backup transformers would be completed by the end of the year.
They also discussed with Zaporizhzhya NPP staff the plant’s preparations for the cold winter months. All six reactors will remain in cold shutdown mode, with heating provided by boilers.
The IAEA team also visited the reactor building and containment vessel of Unit 4, finding no problems, as well as the emergency diesel generators of Units 1 and 5.
However, over the past week, the IAEA team heard frequent explosions at some distance from Zaporizhzhya NPP. No damage to the Zaporizhzhya NPP was reported.
IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chernobyl site reported that despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, nuclear safety is being properly maintained.