Ukraine: Zaporizhia nuclear power plant relies on emergency generators
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located near the city of Enerhodar, on August 4, 2022. © Alexander Ermochenko/REUTERS
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Ukraine's Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has lost its last external power source due to new bombardments, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday (October 8th).
The site currently relies on emergency generators, according to the IAEA.
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Occupied then annexed by Russia, the site of the Zaporijjia power plant is currently obtaining "
the electricity it needs for cooling the reactor and other essential nuclear safety and security functions
", informs the IAEA, only using diesel generators.
"
The connection was cut around one o'clock in the morning, local time
", specifies the UN body, which says it is based on "
official information from Ukraine
" and on "
reports from its team
" of four experts present. in this nuclear power station, which is the largest in Europe.
"
The resumption of bombardments, hitting the only external energy source of the plant, is totally irresponsible
", specifies for his part the director general of the international agency, Rafael Grossi, who was in Kiev on Thursday to discuss the establishment of a protection zone around the plant.
I will soon be going to Russia, then back to Ukraine, to agree on a nuclear protection and safety zone around the plant.
It is an absolute and urgent imperative.
The resumption of direct shelling, hitting #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant's sole source of external power, is tremendously irresponsible.
#ZNPP must be protected.
I will soon travel to 🇷🇺 Russia & again to 🇺🇦 Ukraine to agree on a protection zone.
This is an imperative.
https://t.co/adL9e6qJkp
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) October 8, 2022
At dawn this Saturday, it was the Ukrainian operator Energoatom who wrote on Telegram that "
the last connection line was damaged and disconnected
" due to Russian bombardments.
The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, accused Ukrainian forces of being behind the bombings.
"
In total, Ukrainian troops fired fifteen rockets from the locality under their control of Marganets in the Dnipropetrovsk region
," he said.
“
Emergency diesel generators are used to ensure the operation of the nuclear power plant
,” confirmed the Russian army, claiming to carry out repair work.
According to Moscow, the level of radiation at the plant is "
normal
".
The Zaporijjia site is regularly targeted by gunfire.
The latter have already caused several power cuts since August, and the Russians and Ukrainians blame each other.
►To re-read: Ukraine: the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant reconnected to the Ukrainian network
Although the six reactors are shut down, they still need electricity for vital nuclear safety and security functions, says Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The plant's diesel generators each have enough fuel for at least ten days.
Thursday, from kyiv, Rafael Grossi had bluntly specified his current objective:
We continue to say what needs to be done, which is basically to avoid a nuclear accident at the plant, which is still a very, very clear possibility.
With agencies
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