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IAEA Urges Swift Power Restoration as Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Relies on 10 Days of Fuel
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is working with both Russia and Ukraine to restore offsite power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which has faced prolonged outages due to Russian strikes, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on September 30.
The plant experienced its tenth complete loss of external power on September 23, with emergency diesel generators (EDGs) keeping critical systems operational.
ZNPP currently operates eight EDGs, with nine in standby and three under maintenance, rotating them to ensure continuous safety coverage.
Damage to the sole remaining 750 kV power line and ongoing Russian occupation have prevented repairs.
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“For its part, Ukraine has said it is ready to repair a back-up 330 kV power line that has been disconnected since early May, but that the military situation has so far not allowed this either,” Grossi stressed.
The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the site still has fuel reserves for more than 10 days of operation, with regular offsite supplies maintaining this level.
Grossi emphasized that while the plant’s reactors have been offline for over three years, preventing immediate danger, restoring offsite power is essential to avoid a potential nuclear accident.
“While the plant is currently coping thanks to its emergency diesel generators – the last line of defense – and there is no immediate danger as long as they keep working, it is clearly not a sustainable situation in terms of nuclear safety. Neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident,” he said.
The IAEA continues to monitor the site closely, confirming that cooling systems are functioning, fuel reserves are sufficient for over ten days, and radiation levels remain normal.
Previously, it was reported that serious threats to nuclear and radiation safety have emerged at the ZNPP after six days without external power, Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported.
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