Back up power for Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant: IAEA
Following discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has taken action to ensure an immediate back-up supply of electricity is available in the event of the main power line going down amid the fighting, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Wednesday.
Frequent power cuts have remained a serious concern for safety and security at the Russian-held plant, which is Europe’s largest. Electricity supply is crucial to cool reactors, even if it’s fully shut down.
Since August 2022 – just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, the ZNPP has suffered eight events where offsite power has been lost, noted IAEA.
“This means that if the main power supply through the 750 kV switchyard is lost, the back-up line will automatically be able to provide electricity to the plant without manual, and hence delayed, intervention, provided it remains operational,” Mr. Grossi said.
“This is a significant development, as it enables independence and redundancy in the site’s power supply scheme, even though overall offsite supply “remains extremely fragile”, he added.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145262
