Category: Press Release

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Staff of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) experienced further hardships because of the military conflict this week, with yet another power outage in the nearby city of Enerhodar and a shortage of tap water also affecting their workplace, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

In the latest incident, the IAEA team stationed at the ZNPP was informed by the plant that a military strike damaged a regional sub-station on Wednesday, cutting electricity to Enerhodar and also impacting water supplies.  For the second time this week, the IAEA experts reported that there was no tap water available in some buildings at the site.

People living in Enerhodar, including most ZNPP employees, have faced several such privations in recent weeks, in some cases following reports of drone attacks on electrical sub-stations in the city, located around 5 kilometres from the ZNPP. Enerhodar remained without power yesterday, while water supplies were partially restored.

“Such incidents clearly add to an already very stressful situation for people working at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We will continue to monitor the situation. The general well-being of staff is a source of concern since it can also have an impact on nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

Despite the instability in the electricity and water supply to Enerhodar, the availability of off-site power and cooling water at the ZNPP was unaffected, as it continues to receive electricity from two remaining off-site power lines. Eleven groundwater wells continue to provide the water needed to maintain cooling of the six reactors in cold shutdown conditions.  

In what has become a regular occurrence since the IAEA mission at the ZNPP was established nearly two years ago, the experts have continued to hear explosions and gunfire at various distances from the site over the past week. Due to an air raid alarm, the IAEA team was not able to perform planned walkdowns on 11 July, even though there were no sounds of military activity during this time. On two occasions over the past week, the IAEA team observed smoke in the distance, which the ZNPP said was due to forest fires.

As part of their mission to monitor nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP, the IAEA team has continued to closely follow ongoing maintenance activities, which are of crucial importance not only for the current situation but also for longer-term nuclear safety at the site. Safety system maintenance work on reactor units 1 and 6 and on the main transformer of unit 3 is making continued headway, some of it also observed by the experts.

In recent days, the IAEA experts visited the main control rooms of units 3, 4, 5 and 6, as well as some safety system rooms. Late last week, they went to the turbine building of unit 1, where they were able to go to all floors but once again without being granted access to the western side of the building. They also observed simulator activities in the ZNPP training centre.

The IAEA teams present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained at these facilities despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including multiple air raid alarms over the past week.

The IAEA experts have continued to perform regular walkdowns across these sites. This week, for example, they visited an emergency control centre, observed testing of safety systems and emergency diesel generators, discussed ongoing maintenance activities and monitored the availability of spare parts.

On 16 July, unit 3 of the Rivne NPP was reconnected to the grid following a 45-day refuelling and maintenance outage. However, the unit’s power output is currently limited due to grid limitations, with the increasingly vulnerable Ukrainian electricity network continuing to be impacted by military activities across the country.

“I remain very concerned about the vulnerability of the electricity network across Ukraine. Over two years ago, when this tragic conflict first started, I outlined the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security. Pillar four states that there must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites. It is essential that the electricity network across all of Ukraine remains stable to help maintain nuclear safety at all nuclear power plants,” Director General Grossi said.

Planned maintenance and refuelling activities are continuing at two of the three units at the South Ukraine NPP. The IAEA team at the Chornobyl NPP rotated late last week.

As part of the IAEA’s efforts to support Ukraine in maintaining nuclear safety and security during the armed conflict, the Agency arranged a new delivery of equipment to support the Ministry of Energy in the crucial task of ensuring reliable power supplies to and from the NPPs. It brings the total number of deliveries to 56 since the start of the conflict.

In response to requests from the Ministry, the Agency organised four shipments over the past few weeks of different kinds of equipment, including aluminium wires, reinforced concrete supports, protection and control microprocessor devices for sub-stations and switchgears. The procurement was supported with funds from France, Japan, and New Zealand. With this delivery, equipment worth more than 10 million euros has reached Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The discharge of treated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) continues to comply with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force confirmed today. In its second report since the water discharge began in August last year, the Task Force established to review the safety of Japan’s treated water discharge into the sea also reaffirmed the conclusions from the IAEA’s comprehensive safety report.

Today’s report from the Task Force covers the finding of its mission to Japan from 23 to 26 April, the seventh since it was established in 2021. The Task Force visited the FDNPS site and discussed technical issues with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) – operator of the plant – during its April visit. The Task Force also met with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).

The IAEA’s comprehensive report last year – issued on 4 July last year before the discharge began – found Japan’s plan for handling the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards and that the discharge as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

TEPCO started to discharge the water on 24 August 2023 and intends to continue discharging the water in batches. The total water discharged so far is approximately 55 000 cubic metres, following completion of the seventh batch on 16 July. IAEA expert analysis of the seven batches released have confirmed the tritium concentration in each batch of ALPS treated water released to date is far below Japan’s operational limit.

During its April mission, the Task Force visited the facilities and equipment installed at the FDNPS to discharge the ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water. This included the measurement tanks holding the water prepared for discharge, the flow control valves, emergency isolation valve and the seawater pumps. The Task Force also reviewed the radiation monitors and flow rate detectors installed throughout the discharge facilities, which provide live data to the IAEA’s real time monitoring page.

Additionally, as part of the mission’s activities, the Task Force reviewed the status of the IAEA’s independent corroboration of Japan’s source and environmental monitoring programmes, and the onsite sampling and analysis activities conducted by IAEA experts at the FDNPS. The IAEA is conducting a series of interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) to corroborate the source and environmental monitoring conducted by TEPCO and other relevant Japanese authorities for the ALPS treated water discharge.

Based on their assessments made during the April mission, the Task Force also concluded the following:

• The regulatory infrastructure in place is appropriate to provide operational safety oversight of the discharge of ALPS treated water, and the Task Force was able to witness first-hand the continuous onsite presence of the NRA and their activities in this regard.
• The Task Force confirmed that the equipment and facilities are installed and operated in a manner that is consistent with Japan’s Implementation Plan for the water discharge and the relevant international safety standards.
• The Task Force noted the importance of the IAEA’s ongoing corroboration activities and its on-site independent sampling and analyses, in providing a comprehensive, transparent and objective verification of the accuracy and reliability of the data reported by TEPCO and the Government of Japan and to help build confidence.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi established the Task Force in 2021 to ensure a transparent and inclusive safety review of Japan’s plans for the water discharge. Comprised of IAEA and independent experts from 11 different countries and chaired by a senior IAEA official, the Task Force advises the IAEA in their individual capacities, bringing diverse technical viewpoints to ensure a comprehensive review against international safety standards. The standards constitute the worldwide reference for protecting the public and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

The report from the Task Force’s first mission after the discharge was issued in early 2024.

As part of its ongoing multiyear safety review, the IAEA will continue to conduct Task Force review missions. The next review mission is anticipated to take place in the last quarter of 2024.  The Agency also maintains its continuous presence at the IAEA Fukushima Daiichi NPS Office – established by Director General Grossi in July 2023 – to monitor and assess the ongoing water discharge.

Additional information such as frequently asked questions and a timeline of activities can be found on the IAEA’s dedicated Fukushima Daiichi ALPS Treated Water Discharge webpage.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The city that is home to most staff of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Enerhodar, has continued to suffer temporary power cuts, water shortages and nearby forest fires following reports of military activities in the area, adding to the many challenges facing plant personnel during the armed conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Over the past several months, a series of drone attacks has further fuelled deep concerns about the dangers facing the ZNPP, which is located on the frontline. In recent days, the IAEA experts stationed at the site observed smoke coming from nearby locations where they were told that such strikes had occurred. Earlier today, they also reported about the presence of fires near Enerhodar though the cause was not immediately clear.

The IAEA team was informed of an attack last Friday that damaged an electrical transformer in a sub-station of Enerhodar, leading to an hours-long power outage. The ZNPP also told the IAEA experts that shelling near the city yesterday impacted a water pumping station and another electrical sub-station, leaving the residents without tap water and electricity during the day. The ZNPP remained connected to its two off-site power lines and was not affected by this reported attack.

“These latest attacks have not targeted the nuclear power plant directly, as in April. However, continued military activity in the region remains a serious concern and it is essential that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is protected to ensure nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

The Director General reiterated that an attack last week that reportedly injured eight ZNPP workers at an electrical sub-station in Enerhodar had violated several of the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety during a conflict, notably one on protecting plant staff.

“The sporadic loss of basic living essentials such as electricity and drinking water is affecting the staff and families at all nuclear power plants and facilities throughout Ukraine, potentially impacting on their ability to perform their important nuclear safety and security work,” he said.

Further underlining the precarious situation caused by the conflict, the IAEA team at the ZNPP has continued to hear explosions and gunfire at various distances from the plant on a near daily basis over the past week.

The IAEA experts are nevertheless still conducting regular walkdowns across the ZNPP site to monitor nuclear safety and security. On Tuesday, there was another rotation of experts crossing the frontline to replace colleagues who have been there over the past several weeks. It is the 21st IAEA team at the site since Director General Grossi established the mission on 1 September 2022.

At the site, the IAEA experts are closely following maintenance activities that are important for nuclear safety and security, but have proved challenging during the conflict. Safety system maintenance is progressing in reactor units 1 and 6, and such work has also begun in the main transformer of unit 3.

Last week, the IAEA experts checked the status of some of the site’s 20 emergency diesel generators (EDGs), the last line of defence if the ZNPP were to lose off-site power. The IAEA team routinely attends tests of the EDGs and last week observed that the generator being tested started within the safety criteria.

The IAEA team also assessed the availability of diesel fuel for the EDGs by visiting the diesel fuel storage tanks, located outside the site perimeter. They were informed that there is currently 1300m³ of diesel fuel available, and that all fuel tanks connected to the EDGs were full; this is more than sufficient fuel for operation of EDGs for at least 10 days, which is the minimum regulatory requirement. The team was told that the site can receive additional diesel fuel in 24-48 hours.

Last Friday, the IAEA experts performed a walkdown of the ZNPP cooling pond and related cooling water facilities. With the current hot weather, the level of the cooling pond has been dropping by around 1 centimetre every day, and in recent days fell below 15 metres for the first time since the Kakhovka dam was destroyed last year. The 11 groundwater wells that were dug after the dam’s destruction continue to supply all the water to the sprinkler ponds, which is needed to cool the six reactor units in cold shutdown, as well as the safety systems.

The IAEA experts present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

The IAEA team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP rotated at the end of last week. Planned maintenance and refuelling activities are continuing at two of the three units at the South Ukraine NPP (units 1 and 3) and one of the four units at the Rivne NPP.

As part of the IAEA’s efforts to support Ukraine in maintaining nuclear safety and security during the armed conflict, the Agency arranged four additional deliveries of equipment to the country in the past week. It brings the total number of deliveries to 55 since the start of the conflict.

The State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received equipment intended to enhance nuclear security. The Rivne NPP took delivery of measurement instruments and Khmelnytskyy NPP filter absorbers, both of relevance to nuclear safety at the sites. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) received power supply units intended for its radiation monitoring networks and the analytical laboratories of its hydrometeorological organizations. The deliveries were supported with funding from Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts confirmed on Tuesday that the tritium concentration in seawater samples taken from a popular beach destination in the city of Minamisoma in the Fukushima Prefecture is far below Japan’s operational limit.

Seawater from Kitaizumi Beach in Minamisoma was sampled on 4 July by IAEA experts stationed at the Agency’s office at the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), following consultation with the Government of Japan. The IAEA confirmed that the tritium concentration in the seawater from Kitaizumi Beach is far below the operational limit of 1500 becquerels per litre and is in line with international safety standards. Tritium exists naturally and is found in rainwater, seawater, tap water and inside the human body.

Minamisoma is about 30 kilometres north of the FDNPS, where Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has been discharging diluted ALPS-treated water since August 2023. TEPCO began discharging the seventh batch of ALPS-treated water, which is approximately 7800 cubic metres of water, on 28 June and plans to conduct a series of controlled discharges into the sea over a period of decades. The IAEA has earlier confirmed that the tritium concentrations in the seven batches of ALPS-treated water were far below operational limits.

In a comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023, the IAEA’s safety review found that Japan’s plan for handling the treated water was consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

All reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timeline, will be available on the IAEA website.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that several drones struck locations in the vicinity of the site today, injuring workers and causing forest fires. These repeated drone attacks are a threat to nuclear safety and people’s lives and must stop, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The IAEA experts stationed at the ZNPP said they saw thick smoke and heard explosions coming from near the plant’s 750 kilovolt (kV) switchyard after they were told that drones had hit an adjacent forest, starting fires in windy conditions. Firefighters were working to control the flames. The switchyard is located outside the ZNPP site itself. For now, the IAEA experts do not report any impact on-site.

This latest incident presents a further risk to nuclear safety as the ZNPP’s sole remaining 750 kV power line supplies the off-site electricity the plant needs to cool its six reactors in cold shutdown and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions. At present, the 750kV power line as well as a back-up 330 kV line are still available, but the situation remains precarious.

Near the town of Enerhodar three drone strikes, starting at 10:40am local time, hit one of its electrical sub-stations, injuring eight workers, one of whom required medical care, the ZNPP said. The IAEA experts were informed that the alleged impact also caused an oil leak from at least one of the two sub-station transformers, damaged the top of one of them as well as a connection line.

As a result, the affected sub-station – Raduga – is currently out of service, but Enerhodar and an adjacent industrial area are still receiving electricity. Sub-stations form vital parts of an electrical production, transmission and distribution system.

Today’s reported drone attacks came less than two weeks after Enerhodar – home to most ZNPP staff – was left without electricity for 16 hours after reported drone strikes on the Raduga and Luch sub-stations. In early April, drone strikes also hit the ZNPP site, in a violation of the five basic principles for protecting the facility established by Director General Grossi at the United Nations Security Council in May 2023.

“It is extremely concerning that these drone attacks are continuing, despite the very clear dangers they present to people in Enerhodar as well as to safety at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. They must stop, immediately,” Director General Grossi said.

Also before today’s reported drone strikes, the IAEA team continued to hear military activities on most days over the past week, including explosions at various distances from the site, as well as gunfire and two blasts near the plant on 30 June.

The IAEA experts continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of their regular monitoring of nuclear safety and security at Europe’s largest NPP, including to reactor unit 4, the site’s metrology laboratory, the two fresh fuel storage facilities, several emergency diesel generators, different parts of the reactor safety systems, as well as the ZNPP’s department of non-destructive testing. The team’s walkdown of the plant’s waterworks facilities, however, was cut short by an air raid alarm.

The IAEA experts present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security are being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

The IAEA experts at the South Ukraine and Rivne NPPs rotated at the end of last week. Planned maintenance and refuelling activities continued at two of the three units at the South Ukraine NPP and one of the four units at the Rivne NPP.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have confirmed that the tritium concentration in the seventh batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began discharging today, is far below Japan’s operational limit,

The treated water was sampled by IAEA experts stationed at the Agency’s office at the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). After conducting an independent on-site analysis, the IAEA confirmed that the tritium concentration in the diluted water is far below the operational limit of 1500 becquerels per litre and is in line with international safety standards.

Japan plans to continue discharging the ALPS-treated water from the FDNPS in batches. The IAEA has earlier confirmed that the tritium concentrations in the previous six batches, totalling approximately 46,500 cubic meters of water, were far below operational limits.

Japan’s plan is to conduct a series of controlled discharges of ALPS treated water into the sea over a period of decades. The sixth batch was discharged from May 17 to June 4.

In a comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023, the IAEA’s safety review found that Japan’s plan for handling the treated water was consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

All reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timeline, will be available on the IAEA website.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that an external radiation monitoring station was destroyed by shelling and fire this week, further reducing the effectiveness of its off-site capability to detect and measure any radioactive release during an emergency, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The ZNPP informed the team of IAEA experts at the site that it lost the connection to this monitoring station – located around 16 kilometres south-west of the plant – on Monday afternoon. Due to the security situation, the team was unable to access the location to confirm the damage.

Since early 2022, several radiation monitoring stations within a 30-kilometre area around the ZNPP have been out of service for varying periods of time due to damage sustained as a result of the conflict. Four stations, more than a quarter of the pre-conflict total of 14, are currently unavailable.

The latest incident came just a few days after a 16-hour loss of power in the nearby city of Enerhodar – home to most ZNPP staff – had caused a temporary halt in the operation of some of the environmental radiological monitoring stations after they ran out of back-up battery.

“The functioning of off-site radiation monitoring equipment is an essential part of nuclear safety around the world. These systems are important for continuously monitoring radiation levels and, in the case of an emergency, for quickly assessing the ongoing and potential radiological impact and what protective actions may need to be taken,” Director General Grossi said.

“The loss of one radiation monitoring station does not have a direct impact on safety at the ZNPP, but it forms part of a continuous erosion of a range of safety measures during the war that remains a deep source of concern,” he added.

Radiation monitoring is among the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict, with pillar 6 stressing that “there must be effective on-site and off-site radiation monitoring systems, and emergency preparedness and response measures”.

As a major nuclear power country, Ukraine is among 51 countries participating in the IAEA’s International Radiation Monitoring System (IRMIS), which gathers radiation monitoring data from over 6000 monitoring stations worldwide, part of nationally operated networks.

The ZNPP is continuing to face other challenges related to nuclear safety and security during the conflict. On most days over the past week, the IAEA experts continued to hear explosions at some distance from the site.

They have also continued to closely monitor the cooling water situation at the site, a year after the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam forced the plant to look for alternative supplies of the water needed to cool its six reactors. As part of these efforts, it dug 11 groundwater wells last year that now provide sufficient water required for the current cold shutdown state of all units and its safety systems.

At the same time, the plant is trying to maintain the water level in its main cooling pond, a task that is especially challenging in hot summer weather, which has caused a decline of up to a quarter of the water it receives from other sources. Over the past year, the pond’s water level has declined by 1.5 metres to just over 15 metres.

The IAEA team recently confirmed that the total amount of water currently being pumped into the cooling pond is around 310-350 cubic metres per hour (m3/h), both from the discharge channel of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) as well as excess water from the 11 wells.

“When the six reactors are all shut down, the water from the wells is sufficient for cooling. But it remains a challenging situation that requires constant monitoring and assessment,” Director General Grossi said.

The team has continued to carry out walkdowns across the site, including to all six main control rooms (MCRs) to observe the situation regarding key operational staff, some of whom have been newly appointed to their positions at the ZNPP in recent months.

Earlier this week, the IAEA team attended the testing of an emergency diesel generator (EDG) for part of the safety system of reactor unit 4. The ZNPP staff simulated a loss of off-site power that triggered the diesel generator to start up within 11 seconds, in line with the safety requirements of the EDG.

Separately, the experts confirmed with ZNPP that activities for the preservation of equipment are being undertaken in the turbine hall of unit 5 during a visit to the building, but they were again prevented from accessing its western part.

Also, this week, the team discussed emergency preparedness and response arrangements on-site during a visit to the site’s temporary on-site emergency centre.

On Sunday, 23 June, the IAEA experts performed radiation monitoring during a walkdown within the site perimeter, which it performs routinely once a week. All radiation levels on the site were normal and the results were published on IRMIS.

The IAEA experts present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

Early on Thursday morning, 27 June, the IAEA experts at the South Ukraine NPP went to the shelter in their hotel after hearing small arms fire nearby. They were later informed that there had been military action in the region, but that it had not targeted the hotel or the plant.

Planned maintenance and refuelling activities continue at two of the three units of the South Ukraine NPP and one of the four units at the Rivne NPP. The IAEA experts at the Chornobyl site safely rotated at the end of last week.

As part of the IAEA’s efforts to support Ukraine in maintaining nuclear safety and security during the armed conflict, the Agency this week arranged two new deliveries of equipment to the country. It brings the total number of deliveries to 51 since the start of the conflict.

This week, the Rivne NPP received auxiliary equipment important for nuclear safety. Separately, the Public Health Centre of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health received gamma spectrometers to enhance its analytical capacity to monitor radionuclides in the environment at laboratories located in the cities of Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Uzhorod and Mykolaiv. This week’s assistance was supported through the extrabudgetary contributions of Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. In total during the conflict, nuclear safety- and security-related equipment worth 9.8 million euros has so far reached various organizations in Ukraine.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The city where most staff of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) live was left without electricity for 16 hours over the weekend after a second sub-station in the area sustained damage and was taken out of operation, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The IAEA team of experts stationed at the ZNPP on Saturday visited the site of the latest affected sub-station, Raduga, in the city of Enerhodar to observe damage to one of its two transformers that the plant said was caused by a drone attack the previous evening.

Coming just a few days after one of Enerhodar’s other sub-stations – Luch – was destroyed, Director General Grossi said it further deepened his serious concerns about the fragility and vulnerability of Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, which is crucial also for nuclear safety and security, even though the power supplies to the ZNPP’s six reactors were not affected this time.

As a result of recent days’ damage to the electrical infrastructure, the IAEA was informed that Enerhodar had no electricity from around 8pm on Friday to noon on Saturday, when power was restored in the city, which is located next to the ZNPP. Sub-stations form vital parts of a country’s electrical production, transmission and distribution system.

“Whoever is behind this, it must stop. Drone usage against the plant and its vicinity is becoming increasingly more frequent. This is completely unacceptable and it runs counter to the safety pillars and concrete principles which have been accepted unanimously.,” Director General Grossi said.

After Wednesday’s destruction of the Luch sub-station – which had provided electricity to parts of Enerhodar and other areas – the Raduga sub-station was used to supply some of the lost power to five districts of Enerhodar, before it too was damaged.

Two days after visiting Enerhodar to assess the extent of damage to the Luch sub-station, the IAEA experts yesterday saw electric components and other drone debris at the Raduga sub-station, as well as an unexploded device on the ground near the damaged transformer.

Officials at the scene said a hole in the transformer had caused a cooling oil leak that prompted the sub-station to shut down. They added that the oil spill had been covered by sand and that repairs were under way, which were completed later in the afternoon. The IAEA experts did not see any oil traces on the transformer itself. The sub-station appeared to have suffered less damage than the transformer at the Luch sub-station and there was no fire or firefighters in the area.

The ZNPP later informed the IAEA team that power for Enerhodar had been restored on Saturday afternoon by using Raduga’s back-up transformer.

As was the case with the damage to the Luch sub-station, the loss of electricity from Raduga did not directly impact the two power lines that are still available for the ZNPP. The plant continues to receive the off-site electricity it needs for cooling its shutdown reactors from its last remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) main power line and the last 330 kV backup power line.

However, the failure of the Raduga sub-station affected the electrical supply to the industrial zone next to the ZNPP as well as the plant’s transport unit, a pump for its tap water and some of the area’s external environmental radiological monitoring stations, which stopped working briefly on Saturday morning after running out of battery, but resumed operating as expected when power was restored.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

A recent Swiss-hosted “Summit on Peace in Ukraine” has highlighted wide international recognition of the crucial role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preventing a nuclear accident during the conflict in Ukraine, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

“I appreciate the strong support for the indispensable work of the IAEA expressed by the many countries and organizations attending the summit,” Director General Grossi said.

At the largest of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities – the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – the IAEA team stationed at the site has continued to hear indications of military activity over the past week, including an explosion close to the site on 16 and again on 17 June. The ZNPP informed the IAEA experts that there had been no impact on or near the site itself. On most days, the IAEA experts also heard explosions further away from the site.

Persistent risks related to the availability of off-site power remain a source of deep concern for nuclear safety and security, as Ukraine’s electricity grid has been severely impacted by the conflict, including extensive damage caused by infrastructure attacks in recent months.

In the latest indication of such dangers, the Luch sub-station in  the city of Enerhodar was destroyed on Wednesday. The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the cause of the destruction was a drone attack. This is the second time this sub-station has been damaged since 2022. Following this event, Enerhodar – where most ZNPP staff live and which had been powered by the Luch and Raduga sub-stations – lost electrical power on Wednesday evening. The IAEA team based at the ZNPP went to the Luch sub-station on Thursday, confirming it had been destroyed and was not operational.

The Luch sub-station usually provides electricity to parts of Enerhodar and to other areas, such as the water pumping station of the city, the industrial area and surrounding small towns. As of yesterday, parts of Enerhodar received electricity through the Raduga power line instead. Power supplies to the ZNPP were not directly affected this time, as it does not receive off-site power from either the Luch or Raduga power lines.

However, Director General Grossi said it was another stark reminder that it is essential to have a reliable connection between a nuclear power plant (NPP) and the external grid for maintaining nuclear safety, both for operational and shutdown plants. Although each NPP is designed to manage situations where the connection to the grid is cut, the loss of off-site power to any NPP is a significant  event that must be protected against as a fundamental component of nuclear safety.

Any attack affecting the power supplies to any of Ukraine’s NPPs would be a violation of the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during the conflict, he said, noting that pillar four states that there “must be a secure off-site supply from the grid for all nuclear sites”.

“I remain extremely concerned about the off-site power situation for Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant – which has already lost access to most of its external power lines – is particularly vulnerable in this regard. It has repeatedly lost all off-site power during the conflict. The damaged sustained by the Luch sub-station had a direct impact on plant staff who live in Enerhodar, immediately adjacent to the plant, and therefore also an impact on nuclear safety and security. It is therefore essential that energy infrastructure be protected and preserved at all times,” Director General Grossi said.

A team of IAEA experts on 20 June assesses damage at an electrical sub-station in the city of Enerhodar, home to many staff of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. (Credit: IAEA)

At the ZNPP, the IAEA experts have continued to conduct walkdowns as part of their regular activities to monitor nuclear safety and security and related developments across the site. 

They are also continuing to closely monitor maintenance activities at the site, which are vital for maintaining nuclear safety and security but which have faced challenges during the conflict. The IAEA experts this week discussed the ZNPP’s maintenance plan for reactor units 1 and 2, especially for the second half of 2024.

Over the last week, the ZNPP operated the four diesel steam generators (DSG) commissioned in early 2024 to treat 500m³ of liquid radioactive waste. The resulting treated water is intended to be re-used for plant operation. The generators were put back to standby mode on Tuesday after the completion of this task.

Separately on the same day, the main electrical transformer of reactor unit 2 was returned to operation after a month of maintenance, including tests on valves, sensors, electrical components, and oil. The IAEA experts were also informed that the ZNPP plans to purchase a spare transformer in the future.

The IAEA team this week also observed the testing of parts of the safety system of unit 5, including its emergency diesel generator (EDG). The ZNPP staff simulated a loss of power, which initiated the start of the EDG and left it in operation for 25 minutes before switching it back to standby mode.

On Wednesday, the IAEA experts visited the ZNPP training centre where they observed the installed mock-ups of different components of the plant and two of the three full-scope simulators, including Main Control Room operation shift staff undergoing training on one of them.

The IAEA experts present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

Early on Thursday morning, the IAEA experts at the South Ukraine NPP went to the shelter in their hotel after hearing small arms fire nearby. They were later informed that a drone had been shot down in the vicinity of the hotel, but that it had not targeted the hotel or the NPP.