The Czech company Škoda JS, part of the ČEZ group, has secretly supplied Ukraine with new equipment for nuclear power plants. This includes equipment for the reactors of the Rivne NPP.
Points of attention
- The Czech company Škoda JS has supplied Ukrainian nuclear power plants with new equipment to ensure stable operation of reactors.
- Nuclear power plant power units remain a key source of energy supply for Ukraine in the face of massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
- In the event of a fire at the Zaporizhia NPP, IAEA representatives did not confirm changes in the radiation background in the area of the station.
- The latest events related to the drone strike on the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP indicate an increased threat to the security of energy facilities.
- Czech manufacturer Škoda JS has expressed its willingness to expand cooperation and supply equipment to other Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
What is known about the Czech Republic's transfer of equipment for the Ukrainian nuclear power plant?
As noted, before Christmas, the company delivered eight drives for two VVER-440 reactors.
The company's spokesman in the city of Pilsen, Karel Samec, noted that they decided to announce the equipment supply only after Christmas due to Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
The equipment is designed to ensure stable operation of reactors and their regulation, which is important for a reliable supply of electricity.
Recently, another company in the ČEZ Group, ÚJV Řež, manufactured and supplied a special cable to strengthen the nuclear reactor's containment. The cable, 173 meters long and weighing 13 tons, provides additional safety for the power units.
Under the contract, Škoda JS also transferred 76 storage tanks to Rivne NPP, most of which are already installed and operational. The value of the deal remains confidential.
Škoda JS is currently the only manufacturer in the world supplying this type of drives to Ukrainian NPPs, apart from Russian companies. Škoda JS has expressed its readiness to expand cooperation, in particular to supply equipment to the South Ukrainian NPP.
Amidst Russia's massive attacks on energy infrastructure, nuclear power plants remain a key source of Ukraine's energy supply. The new equipment will help stabilize the power system and increase its resilience.
What is the current situation at the ZNPP?
On August 11, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russian occupiers had set a fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. He called on the IAEA and the international community to respond to the incident.
At the same time, no changes in the radiation situation in the area of the Zaporizhzhia NPP were recorded.
The head of the Nikopol RVA, Yevhen Yevtushenko, said that the ZNPP is operating normally, and the Russians probably set fire to a large number of car tires in the cooling tower. Cooling tower number one is located about a kilometer from the power units of the plant.
Instead, the Russian occupiers accused Ukraine of shelling Energodar and stated that the radiation background around the ZNPP was normal.
Later, IAEA experts inspected the cooling tower after the fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. However, they were unable to determine the cause of the fire.
On August 18, IAEA representatives reported that a drone strike occurred at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, which occurred outside the station's security zone.
According to preliminary data, the drone exploded near the cooling ponds, approximately 100 meters from the Dnipro power line, which is the only 750 kilovolt line supplying energy to the ZNPP.
An IAEA team that inspected the incident site found damage likely caused by a drone explosion.
