Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has lost all off-site power for the 19th time since the start of the war, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators to maintain cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Thursday.
Latest Power Outage
The IAEA stated that the plant lost its last remaining external power connection at around 9 p.m. local time on Thursday after an attack on an electrical substation across the Dnipro River disconnected the Ferosplavna-1 330 kV backup line. This outage occurred as preparations were underway to repair the plant's 750 kV Dniprovska main power line, which has been out of service since March 24. The repairs were scheduled under a localized ceasefire agreed between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the IAEA.
Nuclear Safety Concerns
With the main line disconnected, the plant had been relying on a single backup line for electricity needed to cool its six shut-down reactors and maintain other safety systems. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the fragility of the electrical grid and the constant dangers to nuclear safety during the war, urging military restraint to prevent a nuclear accident. The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, has repeatedly lost external power during the conflict, forcing it to switch to emergency diesel generators.
