The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, remains offline as diplomatic and technical efforts intensify. restore power supplyUnder Russian control since the first weeks of the invasion, its six reactors remain shut down, and critical functions are supported by emergency diesel generators.
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has redoubled contacts with kyiv and Moscow to finalize detailed proposals that allow for the safe reconnection of an external line. The IAEA's premise is clear: safety on the ground needs to be improved so that repair teams can work without exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.
What has happened
Since September 23, the plant has been operating disconnected from the external grid following the damage recorded in its last operational line, as documented in Zaporizhia without a netThis is the tenth power outage since 2022 and by far the longest during this entire war period.
The IAEA reported that the only 750 kV connection was disabled in an area close to the front line, about 10 km from the 1,5 kilometers from the plant. A team from the agency remains on site, monitoring the situation and continuously reporting on the facility's status.
The plant, under Russian control since March 2022, does not produce electricity to the grid, but keeps the systems necessary for nuclear safety and radiation protection active thanks to backup power.
What is being done to restore power?
The IAEA maintains ongoing contacts with senior officials from both sides in order to agree on a safe intervention in the damaged sections and to advance a plan of action. stable reconnectionAccording to the agency, there is the technical capacity to undertake the repairs, but feasibility depends on the security situation in the area.
The essential condition is that technicians can access and operate with adequate protection. Hence, Grossi insists on the need for security guarantees and reduce hostilities near electrical infrastructure to facilitate work on the ground.
The UN nuclear agency stresses that the objective is a priority and requires speed, since prolonging dependence on backup power increases exposure to potential disasters. supply incidents in a war environment.
Current technical situation of the plant
The plant is currently powered by emergency diesel generators that support key functions such as cooling the shut-down reactors and spent fuel pools. The IAEA has noted that eight generators are in operation and an additional dozen remain in reserve.
Authorities have indicated that there is enough fuel for at least dice dÃas operating, and new deliveries are being arranged regularly. This margin is essential to maintain system stability until a reliable external power supply is restored.
The plant's safety infrastructure, including pumps, control and monitoring systems, depends on a continuous power supply. Therefore, the regulator insists that reducing dependence on generators and recover external energy is a priority.
The IAEA has warned that a total loss of power could lead to a serious scenario, with potential fuel meltdown and radiation release. Although the reactors remain shut down since 2022, the need for cooling does not disappear and requires a stable and redundant electrical flow.
Cross accusations and tension surrounding the network
While the IAEA searches for a practical solution, the reproaches between both partiesRussian and Ukrainian authorities accuse each other of endangering security around the plant, and there have been public warnings about the impending military action at the facility.
kyiv claims that Moscow has sought to disconnect the plant and connect it to its own grid, an option that some experts consider technically viable as a basic supply route. However, any step that involves modifying the power supply scheme or considering reactivating a reactor would increase the safety requirements and would require a more stable and IAEA-verifiable environment.
Grossi has stressed that the problem does not lie so much in the technical possibility as in the political will to create the conditions in which teams can work safely and without interruptions, which is essential to closing the chapter on disconnection.
In the absence of a certain date to complete the reconnection, the immediate priority is to protect the safety of the technicians and consolidate the repair routes in the affected sections, so that the plant recovers a stable external supply and reduce your dependence on diesel in a volatile environment.
