Ukraine "Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Completely Halts Operation... Safety Transition Work" (Comprehensive)

"The last nuclear reactor Unit 6 power grid disconnected... Transition to cold shutdown"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Ukraine's state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom announced on the 11th (local time) that the operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been completely halted.

In a Telegram statement, Energoatom said that at 3:41 a.m. that day, the power grid connection of the last operating reactor, Unit 6, at the Zaporizhzhia plant was cut off, stating "ZNPP has come to a complete stop."

It added that preparations are underway to switch Reactor Unit 6 to a "cold shutdown" state.

According to Energoatom, after the last transmission line connecting ZNPP to Ukraine's entire power grid was cut by fire, Unit 6 was isolated from the power grid.

Accordingly, for the past three days, the plant had been operating in "island mode," producing only the power necessary to maintain safety, including reactor cooling.

Then, as the severed transmission line was restored, ZNPP was able to receive external power necessary for safety without operating Unit 6.

Energoatom explained, "Accordingly, we decided to stop the operation of Unit 6 and switch it to the safest state, cold shutdown."

Energoatom further stated, "There is a high risk that the transmission line may be damaged again. If damaged, we will have no choice but to run diesel generators to maintain safety. How long the emergency power can last depends on fuel reserves and the availability of technical resources."

The Zaporizhzhia plant has recently been under continuous shelling, increasing the risk of radioactive material leakage, maintaining a precarious situation.

Both Ukraine and Russia are blaming each other for the attacks. Bombing a nuclear power plant carries a high risk of causing a "nuclear disaster."

In this regard, Kyiv authorities issued an evacuation order on the 7th (local time) for residents near ZNPP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is demanding that the area around the Zaporizhzhia plant be designated as a demilitarized zone.

Russia occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant shortly after invading Ukraine in March, but Ukrainian staff continue to operate the plant.

According to Energoatom, the power system communication lines damaged by Russian shelling the day before were restored to "operational capability," allowing the plant to receive power from Ukraine's energy system.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.