Ukrainian nuclear plant in Russia-occupied region cut off from external power supply

A Ukrainian power plant located in a Russian-occupied region of southern Ukraine was cut off from its external power supply on Monday, forcing the region to rely on emergency generators to cool the nuclear fuel.

Russia and Ukraine each blamed the other for Monday’s power outage at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station. A local official who was installed by Russia said Ukraine was responsible for having disconnected a power line. Energoatom, a Ukrainian state nuclear energy company, said the outage was caused by a Russian attack.

The plant, located along the Dnipro River, is Europe’s largest nuclear power station. 

The area immediately surrounding the plant has been repeatedly hit by shelling. Damage to the facility and a potential meltdown has been an international concern.

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A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, March 29, 2023. (Reuters)

The head of the United Nations nuclear energy watchdog said amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the “nuclear safety situation at the plant [is] extremely vulnerable.”

“We must agree to protect (the) plant now; this situation cannot continue,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi wrote on Twitter.

The power plant has shut down six reactors but a constant supply of electricity is still required to keep the nuclear fuel inside cool and prevent a potential meltdown.

Energoatom said the backup diesel generators contained enough fuel to last about 10 days. “The countdown has begun,” the company said.

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A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the town of Nikopol, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine November 7, 2022. (Reuters)

According to Energoatom, power has been cut to the plant at least seven times since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Following each of the previous incidents, external power had been restored.

Under normal operating conditions, the plant provides about a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity needs.

A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 30, 2022. (Reuters)

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The Ukrainian energy ministry said nearly 250,000 consumers lost power in the Zaporizhzhia region due to the latest Russian shelling. Power has been restored to most of these consumers.