After disconnection from the grid: Uncertainty about the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

According to Ukrainian information, the reactors at the Zaporizhia NPP are still disconnected from the power grid. Russia disagrees: the nuclear power plant works “without failures” and supplies electricity.

According to the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory agency Enerhoatom, several reactors at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant are still disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid. However, the damaged connection line that was responsible for the failure was “repaired”. Preparations for reconnecting two of the six reactors to the power grid are underway.

However, an official deployed by Russia said that electricity from the nuclear power plant was being supplied to Ukraine as normal. The power plant works “without failures”.

However, the power supply for the plant itself is still guaranteed via a thermal power plant, explained Enerhoatom. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also announced that the nuclear power plant would be supplied with electricity from the combined heat and power plant. The emergency protection systems of the reactors have been put into operation and all safety systems were running, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Cooling systems must be powered

According to experts, a permanent power supply is essential for the safety of nuclear power plants. A complete power outage in the facility would pose a serious problem. A power outage could shut down the cooling systems needed to keep the reactors running safely.

Enerhoatom announced on Thursday that the nuclear power plant was disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid. As a result of a fire, the fourth and last connection line between the power plant and the Ukrainian energy system was damaged. The three other lines had previously been destroyed by Russian fire. Russia blamed Ukraine for the fire. This information cannot be verified.

After the emergency shutdown, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more vigorous international intervention. The IAEA and other organizations would have to act much faster than before, Zelenskyj said on Thursday. “Every minute that the Russian military stays in the nuclear power plant means the risk of a global radiation catastrophe,” he said.

Further ambiguity about IAEA inspection of the nuclear power plant

IAEA Director Rafael Grossi confirmed his willingness to go to Zaporizhia with experts within a few days. A Russian diplomat announced that an expert mission from the IAEA would visit the plant in late August or early September. He is optimistic about the preparations, he said on Russian television. However, the delegation’s itinerary and the necessary security guarantees on both sides have been the subject of arguments for weeks.

The situation in Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and its surroundings has been opaque for weeks. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear power plant. The shelling has sparked fears that Zaporizhia could face a nuclear disaster similar to that in Ukraine’s Chernobyl in 1986. The plant in Zaporizhia with six reactors is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

With information from Andrea Beer, WDR, currently in the Ukraine