Category: Nuclear Control

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IAEA Mission Reviews Republic of Korea’s Regulatory Framework for Nuclear Safety

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Members of the IRRS mission to the Republic of Korea in discussion with staff from a nuclear facility . 

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts noted that the Republic of Korea demonstrates a high level of nuclear safety through its independent regulatory body and mature regulatory systems, promoting a strong safety culture. The team also identified some areas for further enhancements and encouraged the country to further align its regulatory framework with the IAEA safety standards.

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team concluded a 12-day mission to the Republic of Korea on 22 November. The mission was conducted at the request of the Government and hosted by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), the national regulatory authority for nuclear and radiation safety.

Using IAEA safety standards and international good practices, IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure, while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

The Republic of Korea has a comprehensive nuclear safety regulatory framework covering nuclear and radiation facilities and activities. Its 26 operating nuclear power reactors, situated at five sites, generate about one-third of the country’s electricity. Four reactors are under construction, and two are in permanent shutdown. Spent fuel is currently stored at facilities of their respective nuclear power plants (NPPs). Korea also uses radiation sources in industrial, scientific and research applications.

The IRRS team, comprising 17 senior regulatory experts from 14 Member States and four IAEA staff members, reviewed the regulatory oversight of facilities and activities using nuclear material and radiation sources, including emergency preparedness and response, decommissioning, and occupational and public exposure control.

“Korea has made significant strides in establishing an independent regulatory body, improving nuclear and radiation safety, and fostering a strong safety culture nationwide,” said IRRS team leader Laura A. Dudes, Regional Administrator for Region II of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). “We observed that Korean authorities are committed to further strengthening these efforts, and we hope the mission’s findings will provide valuable support.”

During the mission, the team met with Yoo Gukhee, the Chairperson of the NSSC. The mission team also met senior management and interviewed staff members and related representatives from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC), the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) company and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD).

The team visited and observed inspections by national authorities at various facilities: An NPP in operation and one under construction in Ulju, Ulsan; a research reactor, a facility holding radiation sources and a fuel cycle facility in Daejeon; and a radioactive waste management facility in Gyeongju.

The IRRS team noted good performance in several areas during the review:

  • The close cooperation and strong relationships between the NSSC, KINS and KINAC, particularly at regional offices, enhances the effectiveness of the regulatory programme in ensuring nuclear safety and security.
     
  • The regulatory body shows a strong commitment to knowledge management and safety by training over 7000 students in nuclear safety through university cooperation and offering nuclear safety and security education through international schools for countries planning to adopt nuclear energy.
     
  • By providing RADLOT, a tracking system for the secure use of industrial radiography devices, KINS enables the secure, nationwide use of these materials.

Recommendations and suggestions for further improvement include:

  • The Government should revise the national policy and strategy for safety to include all elements required by IAEA safety standards.
     
  • Nuclear and radiological laws should clearly state that the person or organization managing a facility or activity is primarily responsible for its safety.
     
  • The NSSC should develop additional procedures and processes to ensure their management systems remain robust and support effective regulatory oversight for safety in the future.

“With growing global demand for nuclear energy, governments and regulators must adopt sustainable approaches to enhance safety frameworks,” said Anna Hadjuk Bradford, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Installation Safety. “The Government and its regulatory bodies have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment by inviting this IRRS mission.”

“Since its establishment as an independent body in 2011, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has worked to establish a robust regulatory framework while actively adapting to a changing environment,” Chairperson Yoo Gukhee of the NSSC said. He added, “This IAEA IRRS mission to the Republic of Korea provided a valuable opportunity for us to reflect on what is needed to advance Korea’s regulatory system from an international perspective.”

The final mission report will be provided to the Government of the Republic of Korea in about three months. The Government plans to make the report public.

IAEA safety standards

The IAEA safety standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

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Update 261 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Nuclear safety and security “remains in jeopardy” at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told this week’s IAEA Board of Governors meeting, as the facility twice lost the connection to its only remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) power line within a few days.

Caused by unspecified damage that occurred approximately 17 km from the plant, the first disconnection lasted for just over 30 hours from Saturday morning until it was repaired and restored around noon the following day, Director General Grossi said, citing information from the IAEA’s team stationed at the ZNPP site. The line was lost again this morning.

As a result of the disconnections, the ZNPP relied on its sole 330 kV back-up power line for the electricity it needs for reactor cooling and other key nuclear safety functions. The ZNPP’s connection to this line was itself lost twice in October, further underlining the fragility of its power supplies. Before the military conflict, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) had four 750 and six 330 kV lines available.

Noting that the armed conflict this week passed its one-thousandth day, Director General Grossi said the IAEA had been supporting nuclear safety and security in Ukraine from the start, with 155 missions having so far been deployed as part of a continued presence at all five NPP sites.

The largest of them, the ZNPP, “continues to face challenges not least because of the vulnerability of its limited off-site power supply lines,” Director General Grossi said in his introductory statement to the Board on Wednesday. “All six reactors remain in cold shutdown and the Agency’s continued stipulation is that no reactor is to be re-started as long as the nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya NPP remains in jeopardy.”

Ukraine’s power system is also a growing concern for nuclear safety at its three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – which require a reliable and stable connection to the national grid both to transmit the electricity they generate and to receive the off-site power they need for vital nuclear safety functions.

The risks they are facing were highlighted last weekend, when Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was reportedly targeted in widespread attacks, less than three months after military strikes caused extensive damage to a number of electrical substations across the country, which the IAEA has identified as important for nuclear safety.

Four of these substations and their power lines were impacted again by the attacks during the night of 16 November and early morning of 17 November, prompting Ukraine’s operating NPPs to reduce their power output as a precautionary measure. The NPPs in recent days gradually started restoring the power lines and began increasing output, but again lowered power generation this morning as a precaution, before it was once again restored.

Separately, the South Ukraine NPP this morning disconnected from its two 750 kV power lines for maintenance. It still received power from its back-up systems.

“The growing instability of the power grid is a deepening source of concern for nuclear safety, affecting all the nuclear power plants,” Director General Grossi said.

Before the latest attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, IAEA teams visited seven substations in September and October to assess the damage caused by the attacks in August, as part of their wider efforts to help the country ensure nuclear safety and security.

They “documented extensive damage to all the substations visited, concluding that the grid’s capability to provide a reliable off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs has been significantly reduced. Repairs and additional protective measures are being implemented by Ukraine,” Director General Grossi told this week’s Board.

The Director General has repeatedly underlined the importance of adhering to the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security, one of which states that there must be a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites.

The IAEA teams present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the grid instability and the effects of the ongoing conflict, including a number of air raid alarms over the past week.

The Agency continues to deliver on its comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine.

Further to Tuesday’s delivery of ambulances to Chornobyl and the Varash hospital, medical equipment including blood and urine analysers, defibrillators as well as electrocardiograph, X-ray and glucose monitoring systems will help the Slavutich health centre, the Varash and Netishyn hospitals and the National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine, Haematology and Oncology strengthen their health care capabilities.

In a separate delivery, the Centralised Spent Fuel Storage Facility, a subdivision of the Ukrainian operator Energoatom, received a dosimetry system to monitor individual doses of staff.

The deliveries were supported with funding from Austria, Denmark, Switzerland and the United States. Since the start of the conflict, the IAEA has coordinated 82 deliveries of equipment and supplies to Ukraine, with a total value of more than 12.4 million euro.

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IAEA Sees Operational Safety Commitment at Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts stated that the operator of Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Hungary has demonstrated a commitment to operational safety. The team also encouraged the operator to continue improvements in areas such as training on preventative measures and documentation to reduce the risk of human error.

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) concluded today an 18-day mission to the Paks NPP. The mission, conducted at the request of the Government of Hungary, took place from 4 November to 21 November 2024. Hungary hosted its first OSART in 1988. This was followed by subsequent OSART missions in 2001 and 2014.

OSART missions independently assess safety performance against IAEA safety standards. The aim is to advance operational safety by proposing recommendations and, where appropriate, suggestions for improvement.

Paks NPP, owned by Magyar Villamos Művek (MVM), is located about 100 kilometres southwest of Budapest. The plant is Hungary’s first and only nuclear power plant, and it has four 506 MWe pressurized water reactor units that were commissioned between 1982 and 1987. Last year, Paks NPP generated almost half of Hungary’s electricity.

The team made daily visits to Paks NPP to observe regular plant activities in areas such as:  maintenance and surveillance, radiation work permits, and training, and to interview personnel. The 13-member team comprised experts from Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and United States of America, as well as three IAEA officials.

“The team was pleased to see that the plant was very well prepared and cooperated fully and openly with IAEA experts during the mission,” said team leader Yury Martynenko, Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. “The managers and staff of Paks NPP are committed to improving the operational safety and reliability of their plant, and we were pleased to see many actions in progress.”

The team identified good practices to be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

  • The development and implementation of a monitoring and repair programme for confinement systems.
  • The storage of geospatial information on plant structures and components and the sharing of data on different platforms.
  • The development of software to predict potential initiating emergency events and the progression of events.

The mission also provided some suggestions to further improve safety, including that:

  • The plant should consider enhancing measures to maintain its measurement equipment, including inspections, calibrations, storage and traceability – arrangements to ensure plant and personnel safety.
  • The plant should consider reinforcing its plant programmes and work practices to ensure that, in the event of an earthquake, the potential impact of non-fixed items on safety-related equipment is minimized.
  • The plant should consider enhancing its processes, procedures and practices to provide personnel with the necessary instructions in the industrial areas of the plant.

“It was in the spirit of continuous learning that we had requested the IAEA review. The OSART mission has allowed us to make an in-depth assessment of our work. The recommendations and suggestions will help us to continuously improve the plant’s operational safety, and thanks to the expertise of our team, we can also contribute to the enrichment of global best practices,” said Péter János Horváth, CEO of MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd.

The team provided a draft report of the mission to the plant management. They will have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. These comments will be reviewed by the IAEA, and the final report will be submitted to the Government of Hungary within three months.

Background

General information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA website. An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant’s overall safety status.

Follow-up missions are standard components of the OSART programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

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IAEA Delivers Ambulances to Ukrainian Nuclear Sites

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has handed over two new, fully equipped ambulances to Ukraine this week, providing vital medical support to the people working at its nuclear facilities. The ambulances – provided with support from Norway – are part of the IAEA’s wider efforts to prevent a nuclear accident during the ongoing military conflict.

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Director General Briefs Board on Iran Developments, Ukraine Support, Technical Assistance and More

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi delivering his opening statement to the IAEA Board of Governors. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

The IAEA Director General has briefed the Board of Governors on his high-level meetings in Tehran last week, describing his discussions with the new government as constructive. Nevertheless, he pointed out, there were ongoing concerns.  

“It is clear that the accumulation of enriched uranium at very high levels has been a matter of concern for many around the world. And this is why I requested the Islamic Republic of Iran to exercise restraint. Not only to exercise restraint, but also if possible, to stop increasing the stockpile of sixty percent uranium. And this request of mine was accepted by Iran.”

Rafael Mariano Grossi went on to discuss how this was an initial step, and a lot more needed to be done. He said: “It is the duty of the IAEA to preserve the regime of which we are the custodians – the non-proliferation regime. And this has been at the heart of this important effort.”

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IAEA Boosts Medical Assistance to Ukraine Nuclear Sites with Delivery of Two Ambulances

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IAEA delivered two new ambulances to Ukraine at the Chornobyl site. Varash Hospital Director Tetiana Latyshenko, left, said the IAEA’s assistance enables “us to provide high-quality medical care to the employees of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, their families and all members of our community.” Dr Liliana Salaru, Senior Medical Officer at the IAEA, right, represented the IAEA at today’s official ceremony. (Photo: IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) handed over two new ambulances to Ukraine today to help ensure vital medical support for the people operating its nuclear power plants (NPPs) in difficult circumstances, an essential part of the IAEA’s wider efforts aimed at preventing a nuclear accident during the military conflict.

The modern and fully equipped vehicles were officially delivered during a ceremony at the Chornobyl site, whose workforce of around 2200 staff have been experiencing extremely challenging work and living conditions over the past few years, with limited capacity at the facility to care for their physical as well as mental health.

The Chornobyl site’s medical unit will receive one of the two ambulances procured with support from Norway, enabling swift and professional transportation of NPP personnel requiring hospital treatment. Until now, Chornobyl employees in need of urgent medical attention have been taken to the hospital in any available car, as the site’s old ambulance is unreliable and requires frequent repairs.

The second ambulance will be used by the Varash Hospital, located in western Ukraine close to the Rivne nuclear site, one of the country’s three NPPs currently generating much-needed electricity for households, hospitals, schools, companies, among others.

The two ambulances – equipped with the latest medical emergency technology – will strengthen the emergency response capabilities of both medical facilities.  

The deliveries are part of the IAEA’s Medical Assistance Programme for Operating Personnel at NPPs in Ukraine, launched by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in April last year to enhance the healthcare services available at Chornobyl, as well as the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs, by providing critical care medicine and equipment.

Thanks to strong donor support, the IAEA has coordinated the procurement of medical equipment and supplies aimed at strengthening critical care capabilities and preventive and diagnostic medical care for operating personnel at nuclear sites in Ukraine. This medical aid forms part of the IAEA’s overall assistance to Ukraine.

Deliveries so far include: an ultrasound system to the city hospital in South Ukraine to enhance its diagnostic capabilities; a mobile X-ray system to the Varash Hospital; 2000 rabies vaccines to hospitals in the towns of Slavutych, Varash, Netishyn and Yuzhnoukrainsk; and 13 000 rapid tests for COVID and other respiratory infections to operating NPPs, Chornobyl, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) and Energoatom.

The IAEA has also provided other assistance for NPP personnel, including more than 500 new beds with orthopaedic mattresses for staff working in weeks-long shifts at Chornobyl, in view of the difficulties in travelling to and from their hometown of Slavutych.

“From the beginning of this tragic and devastating war, the IAEA has been focused on doing everything it can to maintain nuclear safety and security and avert the threat of a nuclear accident with potentially serious consequences for people and the environment in Ukraine and beyond,” Director General Grossi said.

“We are achieving this indispensable mission in several ways, for example, by deploying teams of experts at all nuclear power plants in Ukraine and delivering much needed spare parts and other equipment. But, equally important, we are also focusing on assisting the staff whose work we all depend on. Their physical and psychological well-being is crucial for the safe and secure operation of the nuclear power plants,” he said.

The Director General added: “None of this assistance would have been possible without the generous support of our donors”.

NPP staff facing “constant stress and pressure”

The vital role of NPP staff is recognized in the IAEA’s Seven Indispensable Pillars for maintaining nuclear safety and security during the conflict, which were outlined by Director General Grossi in March 2022. Pillar 3 states that “operating staff must be able to fulfil their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure.”

“The operating personnel are working under extremely difficult and stressful conditions because of military activities near the plants, fearing for loved ones on the frontlines while balancing the needs of family members, including children at home,” said Dr Liliana Salaru, Senior Medical Officer, who represented the IAEA at today’s official ceremony.

“While their professional dedication has been extraordinary, they are exposed to constant stress and pressure in a demanding and challenging environment, affecting their resilience as well as emotional and physical well-being. This can directly impact risk factors, such as sleep, concentration, decision-making and even some disease trajectories, which in turn impede the optimal performance required for operating personnel at nuclear power plants,” she said at the event, which also featured a video message from the IAEA Director General.

Ukraine’s NPP workers have also had to cope with an increased workload, as the number of available operating staff has decreased during the conflict.

Acting General Director Sergii Martynov of the Chornobyl NPP said the assistance received so far had “greatly improved the living conditions” for staff.

“It has had a positive impact on both their well-being and their ability to maintain high performance in these difficult times,” he said.

Varash Hospital Director Tetiana Latyshenko said the IAEA’s assistance with training, vaccines and equipment supplies “enable us to provide high-quality medical care to the employees of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, their families and all members of our community.”

Apart from delivering ambulances and other medical equipment, the IAEA has been working with Ukrainian and international specialists to address a growing need for psychological assistance. Last week, for example, a well-attended mental health workshop was organized for psychologists from the NPPs in the western town of Truskavets.

“It is essential that we recognize the very stressful conditions under which the operators of these critical facilities work, and everything possible is done to protect the health of such an important workforce,” Director General Grossi said.

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Nuclear Power in the COP29 Spotlight as Countries and Companies Eye Climate Solutions

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

COP29 high-level event on Financing Low Carbon Technology, Including Nuclear Energy. Baku, Azerbaijan. 13 November 2024. (Photo:  D. Calma/IAEA)

Nuclear power is in the spotlight at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan, where both countries and industries presented plans to deploy the carbon-free energy technology, building on the historic consensus to accelerate its use that emerged from last year’s climate summit.

Reaching global decarbonization targets by 2050 will require a significant expansion of nuclear power. This was acknowledged at the first Nuclear Energy Summit in March 2024 as well as in the Global Stocktake at COP28 and the pledge by more than 20 countries to seek to triple nuclear capacity. But to get there, capital is urgently needed, said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “Finance institutions need to evolve with the changing demands of the market—and there’s a clear demand for and growing interest in nuclear,” Mr Grossi said at a high-level event co-hosted by the COP29 Presidency and the IAEA that focused on financing low-carbon energy projects including nuclear power.

The high-level event featured speakers including Mr Grossi and Parviz Shabazov, Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan; Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ghana; Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Secretary; Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Mark Bowman, Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association; and Seth Agbeve, Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy of Ghana.

The event followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the IAEA and Azerbaijan in which the Agency agreed to provide energy planning capacity building services, including a joint analysis under the Atoms4NetZero initiative on the potential role of nuclear energy in Azerbaijan’s clean energy transition.

Noting the importance of nuclear energy for Azerbaijan’s future, Azerbaijan Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said at the event that “Azerbaijan sees opportunities for nuclear energy to be part of its energy mix in the future, as clean energy.”

Mr. Grossi signed cooperation agreements with several organizations at COP29. The company LinkedIn agreed to support capacity building in the nuclear sector with training, data insights and networking. The IAEA and IRENA agreed to cooperate on joint missions, training, data sharing and case studies to support energy planning and clean energy goals. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the IAEA agreed to cooperate on nuclear safety, decommissioning, environmental remediation and nuclear energy.

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IAEA Director General Receives Nuclear Statesman Award

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi accepting the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award.

The IAEA Director General has been granted the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award – for outstanding service in developing and guiding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Rafael Mariano Grossi accepted the award at the American Nuclear Society’s Winter Conference in Florida yesterday.

The award is given to one person every year who has been widely recognized for their “statesmanlike contributions to the many aspects of nuclear energy”.

Previous winners include Nobel laureates as well as two former IAEA directors general, Sigvard Eklund and Hans Blix, who won in 1976 and 1988 respectively.

The award is jointly presented by the ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

NEI’s president Maria Korsnick listed previous high-profile winners in her address and said: “This years’ awardee is equally distinguished and equally a champion for nuclear energy, science and technology.”

ANS Vice President Hashem Hashemian agreed, calling the Director General “truly a champion for world peace, nuclear security and safety.”

He added: “He is also one of the hardest working people I know. Just over the last seven days he has been to Iran, he has been to COP29 and he is now here.”

The award is named after Henry DeWolf Smyth, who has a long history with the IAEA, having served as a principal advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower  in preparing his famous Atoms for Peace speech in 1953.

Later, President John F. Kennedy appointed Smyth as the representative of the United States to the IAEA, and he played a crucial role in the adoption of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, before retiring in 1970. 

Following the award ceremony, the Director General visited St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, which has been providing clean energy to more than a million homes in the region for more than 45 years.

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Update 260 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) reduced electricity production as a precautionary measure this morning following widespread military activities across the country that reportedly targeted its energy infrastructure, putting nuclear safety and security under further pressure, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Although the NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – were not directly impacted and did not shut down, several electrical substations on which they depend suffered further damage during the strikes, Director General Grossi said, citing information from Ukraine’s national regulator. The main power lines from four of the substations were disconnected. At the moment, only two of the country’s nine operational reactors currently generate electricity at 100 percent capacity.

IAEA teams visited seven substations – located outside the NPPs across the country – in September and October to assess the damage from attacks in August and will assess whether further visits are required following today’s military activities, said Director General Grossi, who spoke to the head of the national regulator about the impact of the attacks.

The IAEA teams based at the NPPs heard air defence activities and sought shelter during the air raid alarms. At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the IAEA team heard a loud explosion. At the Rivne NPP, two 330 kilovolt (kV) power lines were unavailable, the team there reported.

NPPs need reliable connections to the grid both to transmit the electricity they produce and to receive off-site power for reactor cooling. The increasing fragility of the grid has been one of the main challenges for nuclear safety and security throughout the armed conflict.

Of the nine currently operational reactors at the three NPPs, six reduced output during the morning, ranging from just over 40 percent of maximum capacity to above 90 percent. At the moment, only two operate at 100 percent capacity, with one in shutdown for maintenance. All NPPs continued to receive off-site power.

“The country’s energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, directly impacting nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said. “We are still assessing the full extent of the damage. At this critical time, I reiterate the importance of adhering to the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security during the conflict, in particular pillar four that states there must be a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites.”