Power supply problems have arisen at the Chernobyl plant after a Russian attack on the nearby town of Slavutych. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reassures that electricity has already been partially restored, though not everywhere.
Blackout in Chernobyl
Moscow continues its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. On October 1, their target was power lines near the border with Belarus. This led to outages affecting parts of the defunct Chernobyl power plant, the site of the 1986 disaster. The plant has been shut down for many years, so there is no risk of an explosion. However, according to the IAEA, the main power supply to the arch covering the concrete sarcophagus built over the ruins of the destroyed reactor has still not been restored. In the meantime, diesel generators are being used.
“In the case of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, there is no risk of fuel rods overheating, as they were secured and cooled years ago. The RBMK-1000 reactors themselves have already been partially dismantled, and the last one was shut down 25 years ago (on December 15, 2000). There is therefore no cause for alarm. We appeal for calm. In the coming hours, one can expect a wave of sensationalist reports written by outlets exploiting fear. Do not be misled—trust only reliable and verified sources of information,” explain the authors of the blog napromieniowani.pl.
What’s Happening at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant [UPDATE]
The emergency situation continues at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the largest nuclear facility in Europe, where there has been no power supply for several days. Cooling of the inactive units is also being maintained thanks to diesel generators. The plant’s staff still has fuel reserves for 10 more days. So far, they have been able to balance diesel consumption, but the military situation does not allow for repairs of the damaged transmission lines.
Experts from the IAEA assure that the situation at both plants is under control, but prolonged power supply problems and continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure increase the risks.
“The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been without external power for over a week, which is by far the longest such period in more than three and a half years of war. I am in constant contact with both sides to enable the rapid reconnection of the plant to the grid,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“Although the plant is currently coping thanks to emergency diesel generators—the last line of defense—and as long as they function there is no immediate threat, this is certainly not a sustainable situation from the perspective of nuclear safety. Neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident,” Grossi added.
How Many Reactors Are Operating at Zaporizhzhia and How Long Can They Last
According to ZNPP, the last power outage occurred in late September, when the only remaining power line was damaged by military activity about 1.5 km from the plant. After that incident, emergency diesel generators (EDGs) automatically activated, supplying the power needed for the plant’s safety systems and for cooling the six reactors and spent fuel.
Currently, the ZNPP operates eight EDG reactors, with nine more on standby and three under maintenance. Over the past week, the plant has been working in rotation to service some of the inactive reactors and ensure continuous availability.
The ZNPP stated that it has the personnel and spare parts required to repair the damaged 750-kilovolt (kV) line, but so far this has been impossible due to the military situation in the area. Ukraine, for its part, has declared that it is ready to repair the 330 kV backup line that was disconnected in early May, but added that the security conditions have not yet allowed it.
Since the ZNPP reactors have been shut down for more than three years—meaning the nuclear fuel has cooled and the amount of radioactive material in the fuel has decreased—the nuclear safety risk is not as severe as it would be if the plant were still generating electricity. However, in the event of a total power failure, without external supply and without functioning EDGs, the nuclear fuel could melt if power were not restored in time. For this reason, ZNPP also has mobile diesel generators.
“The current state of the reactor cores and spent fuel is stable, provided that emergency diesel generators can continue to supply enough power to maintain basic safety and cooling functions,” said the IAEA Director General.
“Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance to restore off-site power. I strongly urge both sides to work with us and allow the necessary repairs to be made. As I have repeatedly stated, a nuclear accident is in no one’s interest, and every effort must be made to prevent it,” he explained.
“Based on the information from the plant, we can confirm that the emergency diesel generators are reliably supplying the power needed to cool the nuclear fuel in the reactor cores and spent fuel pools,” Grossi added.
ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the facility still has fuel reserves sufficient for more than 10 days of operation, and regular external deliveries are keeping that level steady, the IAEA said in a statement.
In recent days, IAEA staff on site have observed the functioning EDGs and confirmed that the sprinkler tanks, which provide cooling water for the reactor units and spent fuel, remain full.
Radiation monitoring conducted by the ZNPP, along with measurements carried out by the IAEA, has shown no increase in radiation above normal levels either at the plant or in the surrounding area over the past week.
