Damaged substation near Zaporizhia NPP (archive). Ukraine: Prolonged power outages continue to threaten nuclear safety Peace and Security
Instability of energy supply continues to create serious risks for the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine in conditions of armed conflict. This was announced on Thursday by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.
According to the head of the agency, in the early morning of December 6, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) once again completely lost external power supply – for the eleventh time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Two power lines remained in service disconnected within 20 minutes of each other, leaving the station without access to the network.
“Although the emergency generators operated as planned, repeated incidents of loss of external power increase operational stress and highlight the importance of reliable power supply,” noted Grossi.
One of the 330 kV lines was restored after 29 minutes, while the main 750 kV line remained de-energized for about nine hours. Earlier in the fall, the Zaporizhzhya NPP spent a whole month without external power. regions of Ukraine. As a result, three operating nuclear power plants were forced to reduce reactor power.
“These outages led to power fluctuations, temporary outages and forced shutdowns of power units. At a number of stations, power was reduced to maintain the balance of the network and prevent damage to equipment,” noted Grossi.
The head of the agency reiterated that the instability of the energy system remains one of the most serious problems from the point of view of nuclear safety. One of the seven key safety principles, he said, is a guaranteed external power supply for all nuclear facilities.
Ukraine’s support
IAEA teams stationed at all Ukrainian nuclear power plants continue to monitor the situation around the clock. In early December, experts visited more than 10 substations damaged in recent attacks to assess repair needs and suggest measures to support energy infrastructure. generator at the Zaporozhye NPP December 5. During the test, a flame burst out of the exhaust pipe—as station employees explained, it was due to soot ignition after prolonged operation of the generator during a period of no external power. After inspection, the unit was returned to standby mode, and the team found no violations of nuclear safety. with radioactive waste Ukraine.