Three Ukrainian nuclear power plants resume generation - IAEA
Three operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Ukraine – Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine – have almost fully resumed electricity generation after a sharp reduction in capacity last week as a precautionary measure due to renewed Russian attacks on the country’s power grid.
This was stated by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.
“A stable electricity grid that provides secure off-site power is essential to ensure nuclear safety at Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants, which are vital for producing the electricity the country needs, especially during the cold winter months. The operators have demonstrated significant resilience during and after this latest period of grid instability so that these plants can maintain nuclear safety and generate electricity following last week’s output cuts,“ Grossi said.
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According to the IAEA, eight of the nine reactors at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants are currently operating, with one being in shutdown. However, some off-site power lines that the plants use to both receive and transmit electricity remain down.
The agency will continue to “closely monitor relevant developments, including with follow-up expert visits to the electrical substations on which the nuclear power plants depend,” Grossi said. " Once again, I call for maximum restraint, so that no action affecting the external power supply and nuclear safety is taken."
The IAEA also reported that nuclear and physical nuclear safety at all three Ukrainian government-controlled nuclear power plants is maintained at the appropriate level.
As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia NPP, has not been generating electricity for more than two years. All six power units are in a cold shutdown state, but still require external power supply for reactor cooling and other important nuclear and physical nuclear safety functions.
