The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, is under intense scrutiny as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia rages on. The plant has been completely without external electricity for the past three days. This is the longest outage of its kind and has prompted serious worries about the safety of the facility.
A continuous supply of power is necessary for the nuclear plant to maintain its cooling systems, preventing the nuclear fuel from overheating and melting. This power is typically supplied from external sources. When external electricity is unavailable, the plant relies on backup diesel generators. At present, the plant is solely dependent on generators for cooling operations. If the diesel fuel runs out and no new supply arrives, the reactors could reach a dangerous state within weeks.
What Caused the Power Outage?
The last high-voltage power line from the plant was damaged on Tuesday by forces allegedly from Russia. Russia claims that repairs are challenging because of military activity by Ukraine. However, Ukraine asserts that it does not attack the plant due to the high risk involved.
IAEA Director General Raises Alarm
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed deep concern regarding the current situation. He held a meeting with Russian President Putin, but no clear resolution has been found. Greenpeace and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that nuclear safety is being threatened.
What are Russia’s Potential Objectives?
Ukraine and international experts believe that Russia is intentionally manufacturing a crisis. They suspect that Russia seeks to demonstrate to the world, and specifically to Ukraine, that only Russia has control over the plant’s security and operation.
* Russia is preparing to connect the plant to its own electricity grid.
* It is believed that Russia may soon attempt to restart a reactor to show it can independently operate the plant.
* Greenpeace experts have seen satellite images of a 125-mile power line constructed by Russia from Mariupol, possibly for connection to the plant.
How Significant is the Risk?
Following the 2011 Fukushima incident in Japan, European regulators conducted an assessment to determine how long a plant could function without external power. The assessment suggested a limit of 72 hours. The Zaporizhzhia plant has now surpassed this limit. Though the reactors are currently in a cooled state, the immediate risk is not as severe as in Fukushima. However, the long-term risks are substantial.
