Security at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine improved on Saturday, according to Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after repairs were made to an emergency power cable at the decommissioned power plant, which requires power for cooling the reactors.
- This is a good day for nuclear safety, Grossi wrote on social media X.
The repairs mean that two cables can now supply the nuclear power plant with external power. The emergency power cable, which has not been operational since May 7, is designed to provide external power if the normal power supply from a recently repaired main cable fails. In September and October, the Zaporizhia plant was powered by diesel generators for a period of 30 days.
Before the war, the plant produced about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity. But it has been shut down since Russian forces took over a few weeks into the Russian invasion of the neighboring country in February 2022.
The nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, continues to need electricity to maintain cooling and safety systems. They prevent the reactors from melting down. The plant has six reactors and a capacity of 6,000 megawatts.
The IAEA has repeatedly expressed concerns about the safety of the nuclear power plant due to fighting nearby. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the area.
Temporary ceasefires around the Zaporizhzhia plant in October and November have made it possible to repair the two damaged power cables, explains IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
- Since the damaged sections of the power cables were in an active combat zone, it required complex negotiations to ensure carefully coordinated temporary ceasefires so that the technicians did not risk their lives, Grossi tells the nuclear agency's website.
/ritzau/
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