The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed this Friday (26) that one of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is again connected to Ukraine’s electricity grid and reiterated that it expects to send “very soon”, in a matter of days, a mission to inspect the safety of the plant in loco.
In a statement, the director general of the UN nuclear agency, Rafael Grossi, expressed relief at the re-establishment of the external power line in Zaporizhzhia.
However, he warned that recent power cuts at Europe’s largest nuclear plant, controlled by Russian troops but operated by Ukrainian personnel, “have made clear the potential vulnerability of a large nuclear plant located in the middle of an active conflict zone”.
“I continue to have active and intensive consultations with all parties to organize and lead an IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant very soon, hopefully in the coming days,” Grossi said.
“As the sudden loss of the external power line demonstrated yesterday, the presence of the IAEA on site is urgently needed,” he added.
On the other hand, the statement by this body of the United Nations system in charge of guaranteeing the peaceful use of nuclear technology indicates that, according to information from Kiev, the plant continued “having access to external electrical energy for cooling and other safety functions”.
Ukraine said one of the six reactors had been reconnected to the national grid, a day after the plant temporarily lost connection to a vital power line.
In addition, the statement specifies that emergency diesel generators were fired during Thursday’s power outages, in line with the plant’s safety requirements.
“The 330 kilowatt reserve line remained connected and operational for all this time, Ukraine said,” the note detailed.
The IAEA points out that power lines are not primarily used to power homes and factories, but that nuclear power plants also need a constant supply of electricity for their routine operations and to power the safety systems needed during an emergency or accident.
“In case the external power line is lost (…) it is essential to have a backup power supply for the security systems in order to avoid any accident with radiological consequences for people and the environment,” the statement warned. of the IAEA.
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