After temporary disconnection: Zaporizhia nuclear power plant back on the grid

According to the operator, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has now been reconnected to the power grid. Because of a fire, it was only supplied with electricity via an emergency line. Russia expects an inspection by the IAEA soon.

According to the state-owned Ukrainian operating company Enerhoatom, one of the reactors at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been reconnected to the Ukrainian grid and is expanding capacity. In the morning, all six reactors of the power plant were still cut off from the Ukrainian power grid.

According to Enerhoatom, the power supply for the plant itself was meanwhile guaranteed by a thermal power plant. 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.

A permanent power supply is essential for the safety of nuclear power plants. A power outage could shut down the cooling systems needed to keep the reactors running safely.

The nuclear power plant was disconnected from the power grid on Thursday after fires in ash pits in an adjacent thermal power plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Russian shelling near the power plant as the reason for the fire. A representative of Russia blamed Ukraine for the incident.

nuclear catastrophe feared

The situation in Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and its surroundings has been opaque for weeks. The nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since March, but continues to be operated by Ukrainian technicians. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear power plant. The information could not initially be verified independently.

The shelling has sparked fears that Zaporizhia could face a nuclear disaster similar to that in Ukraine’s Chernobyl in 1986. With six reactors, the plant in Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

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

federal government concerned

The federal government expressed concern about the developments in Zaporizhia. The situation is “very, very dangerous,” said a spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. “We strongly condemn the occupation by Russian troops.” Russia must return control of the nuclear power plant to Ukraine immediately and the IAEA must be granted access as soon as possible.

Grossi confirmed his willingness to go to Zaporizhia with experts within a few days. An adviser to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry, Lana Serkal, said a team from the IAEA should visit the nuclear facility next week. The logistical requirements for the trip are currently being dealt with, she said on Thursday evening in local media.

Moscow is now also expecting international experts to visit the site soon. “Preparations are being made actively for a visit” by the IAEA expert mission,” said the Russian representative at the international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov.