The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been without external power for more than a week, relying solely on generators to operate. The IAEA reports this, according to UNN.
Details
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been without external power for more than a week and is currently using emergency diesel generators to provide the electricity necessary to perform essential nuclear safety and physical security functions
It is noted that on August 20, the plant lost its connection to the only remaining external power line, the 330-kilovolt "Fero-Plavna-1" line, as a result of military activity on the northern bank of the Dnipro River. Since then, several generators have been operating at the plant to supply power for its own needs, primarily for the pumps that cool all six reactors and the spent fuel pools.
In view of the prolonged lack of external power, the IAEA team at the ZNPP is closely monitoring the diesel fuel situation.
On Monday, the team visited most of the 20 diesel generator units at the site to check the fuel levels in their tanks and assess how many days the available supplies would last to keep the plant operating if external power is not restored.
The IAEA team was also informed that the latest fuel delivery to the plant’s external fuel storage facility took place nearly six months ago, in March. The next delivery, scheduled for May, was reportedly postponed because of frequent military activity in the area. The IAEA has been unable to visit this fuel storage facility since March 2025.
However, on Thursday and Friday, the team observed the transportation of several dozen tonnes of diesel fuel from two different locations outside the site near the ZNPP to the plant itself, both to compile a report on the state of the plant’s nuclear safety and to ensure security during these deliveries.
Recall
On August 20, the ZNPP lost external power. This happened for the sixteenth time this year: backup generators supported critical systems, but their frequent use is wearing out the equipment.