The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is considering a further reduction in the number of emergency diesel generators (EDGs) kept in automatic standby as diesel fuel supplies at the site continue to be a concern, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

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Diesel fuel reserves at the ZNPP remain low following an extended loss of off-site power in August and September, when the plant relied on EDGs for nearly three weeks. Efforts to replenish the reserves have been hampered by military activity in the area. 

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EDGs provide backup power for essential safety systems at the ZNPP when external power is unavailable. Their availability is particularly important given the repeated losses of off-site power at the plant. The ZNPP has experienced 10 such losses since June alone and currently relies on a single off-site power line, the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line.

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“The availability of sufficient and reliable emergency electricity generation capacity to supply safety-related equipment is essential for the safety of any nuclear facility. The continued lack of diesel deliveries to the ZNPP is exacerbating an already precarious situation,” Director General Grossi said. 

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“The prompt delivery of fuel to the ZNPP would have a large positive impact on nuclear safety at the ZNPP. I call on all sides to work with the IAEA to achieve this goal,” added Director General Grossi. 

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On 29 September the IAEA team at the ZNPP was informed that planned maintenance of electrical equipment in the 750kV switchyard had been delayed due to the security situation. Maintenance of an EDG was also delayed due to the late arrival of contractors. 

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On 30 September the IAEA was informed of repair work required at the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant to increase the robustness of the power supply to the ZNPP. The IAEA is working with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on a ceasefire that should allow for the maintenance work to be carried out.

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The IAEA team at the ZNPP continued to hear military activity every day over the past week, often close to the site.

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On 30 September the IAEA was informed of a drone strike on the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, 100 metres from a facility that houses a research reactor and spent nuclear fuel. While no radioactive material was released, Director General Grossi reiterated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked.

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Continued drone activity was also reported near other nuclear sites in Ukraine. The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) reported detecting 27 drones in its monitoring area over the past week, while the Chornobyl site reported 83 and the Khmelnytskyy NPP reported 2. 

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High numbers of air raid alerts were also reported across all the sites, with 157 in total over the past week. The IAEA teams at the Rivne and Khmelnytskyy NPPs had to shelter on multiple occasions.

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“Our teams continue to report frequent military activity near the sites at which they are present. Military activity near a nuclear facility, regardless of whether the nuclear facility itself is intentionally targeted, increases the risk of a nuclear accident,” Director General Grossi said. “I renew my calls for maximum military restraint from all sides.”

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Text Courtesy, IAEA