On April 13, all six power units of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were put into a "cold shutdown" state. This happened for the first time since 2022.
What is happening at the ZNPP
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that on April 12, the occupiers began to put the fourth power unit into a "cold shutdown" state, which ended today, April 13.
As noted, this step was taken after the winter heating season recently ended in the neighboring town of Energodar, where most of the station's employees live.
I welcome this decision, which has been recommended by the Agency for some time, as it improves the overall safety of the facility. The Agency will continue to closely monitor the performance of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and provide technically viable alternatives in the context of rapid changes and challenges.
Raphael Grossi
Director General of the IAEA
The IAEA recalled that the ZNPP stopped generating electricity for the national grid in September 2022, but from October 2022 left at least one of the six power units in a hot state to provide district heating, as well as process steam for processing liquid waste at the site.
The decision to cold shut down all six units is positive in itself, as reactor cooling provides an additional buffer in the event of an accident. But this does not solve the fundamental problem of the recent sharp deterioration of the situation at the plant. Without a doubt, nuclear safety and security at this large nuclear facility remains very fragile, — Grossi added.
The occupation of the ZNPP by the Russians
At the beginning of March 2022, the ZANP was under Russian occupation. Since then, its management was taken over by Rosatom.
The station was repeatedly on the verge of blackout. Since the beginning of the Russian occupation, the Zaporizhzhya NPP has already experienced eight complete blackouts and one partial blackout, with emergency diesel generators and safety systems being activated.
From September 2022, the IAEA mission is stationed at the station.
More on the topic
- Category
- Ukraine
- Publication date
- Додати до обраного
