IAEA: "Zaporiya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine Experienced External Power Outages 3 Times in 10 Days"

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] It has been confirmed that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, currently occupied by Russia, experienced external power supply outages three times within the past ten days.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the 18th (local time), the substation outside the nuclear power plant was shelled the day before, causing the 750kV power line supplying external power to the Zaporizhzhia plant to be cut off.

As the substation malfunctioned and voltage abnormalities occurred, the protection system was activated. Consequently, the external power line to the nuclear power plant was disconnected from the power source. The Zaporizhzhia plant operators ran emergency diesel generators to supply power and then restarted power supply by activating the backup power system.

If power is not supplied smoothly to the nuclear power plant, a major accident can occur. If the cooling system inside the plant does not receive power, the reactor can overheat, causing the nuclear fuel rod bundles to melt and potentially leading to a serious accident involving the leakage of radioactive materials. The IAEA pointed out that such external power supply interruptions have occurred three times since the 7th.

Currently, all six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant are shut down considering safety issues. However, power supply is still necessary to perform minimum safety functions.

In a statement, the IAEA said, "The repeated disconnection of power line connections shows how vulnerable the nuclear power plant is to safety under the current war in Ukraine."

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