The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been receiving electricity supply from only one line for over a week due to the disconnection of a backup line. According to Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the enemy is preventing the restoration of power to the plant from the backup line, which operates at 330 kilovolts and was disconnected on May 7.
This is reported by Finway
The plant is now entirely dependent on the single operational line at 750 kilovolts. It is important to note that the damage occurred in an area controlled by Ukraine, but restoring power to the ZNPP from the backup line is impossible due to active hostilities.
Nuclear Safety in Wartime
All six reactors at the ZNPP have been shut down since mid-2022; however, they require external power for cooling the fuel and reducing the risk of an accident. Before the full-scale invasion, the plant had access to ten power lines, which ensured reliable external power supply.
“Throughout the war, external power supply has been the main Achilles’ heel of nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved in this regard,” Grossi stated.
Military Activity Near the ZNPP
According to IAEA information, the agency’s team has heard military activity daily over the past week, including explosions at various distances from the ZNPP. On Tuesday, May 13, in the morning, experts recorded sounds of gunfire and possibly drones.