Update 368 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

EXTRACTO DEL FEED · ATRIBUIDO AL MEDIO

Country: Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has adjusted the operating strategy for its emergency diesel generators (EDGs) as diesel fuel supplies at the site continue to decline, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Currently the plant is receiving off-site power through its sole remaining power line, the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line. However, repeated losses of this connection in recent months have underlined the importance of the site’s EDGs. With diesel fuel reserves running low, the plant has taken steps to reduce fuel consumption in the event of another loss of external power.

“With measures being taken to conserve the remaining diesel fuel onsite and the ZNPP having only one remaining off-site power line, the situation remains highly fragile,” said Director General Grossi.

“The availability of diesel fuel remains essential for nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP, particularly as winter approaches,” Director General Grossi said. “In this context, steps to reduce diesel consumption are necessary, however, the reduced availability of emergency power systems deviates from normal practice and reflects the continued challenges facing the plant.”

With the revised strategy, four EDGs would start automatically in the event of another loss of off-site power, while the remaining units would require manual connection by plant staff. Previously, all available EDGs would have started automatically under such conditions. The site has 20 EDGs, two of which are currently unavailable as a result of ongoing maintenance.

EDGs provide backup electricity needed to maintain the vital safety functions at the ZNPP when external power is unavailable. This includes the pumps that cool the reactors and spent fuel pools, systems that monitor and control plant equipment, equipment that monitors radiation levels, and heating and ventilation systems.

The ZNPP expects to use separate diesel-fired boilers for much of the heating at the plant over winter as well as diesel-fired steam generators for processing radioactive waste, making diesel fuel supply an even more pressing issue.

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

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the premises of the Ukrainian state nuclear plant operator Energoatom were damaged by air strikes in Kyiv on Wednesday, reportedly causing casualties among its staff and fires in buildings. Although the strikes did not target a nuclear facility, Director General Grossi reiterated that attacks on the nuclear sector affecting staff should not take place and again called for maximum military restraint.

At Ukraine’s other nuclear sites, the IAEA was informed of continued drone activity. The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) reported detecting 30 drones in its monitoring area over the past week, while the Chornobyl site reported 71. The Rivne NPP and the Khmelnytskyy NPP each reported one drone in their respective monitoring areas. Over the past 24 hours, the Agency teams deployed at Rivne and Khmelnytskyy NPPs have had to shelter multiple times, once for as long as 13 hours.

“Military activity near a nuclear facility is at direct odds with any and all nuclear safety objectives and potentially draws us closer to a nuclear accident. I renew my calls for maximum military restraint from all sides,” said Director General Grossi.

The IAEA continued to deliver emergency equipment assistance to Ukrainian counterparts, delivering a fully equipped fire truck to the Khmelnytskyy NPP, strengthening the plant’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities and supporting its ability to respond effectively to emergency situations. This delivery was made possible with funds from Italy, the Republic of Korea, Norway and Sweden.

As part of the medical assistance programme, a supply of syringes and tourniquets was delivered to the Chornobyl NPP to support emergency medical assistance response capabilities at the site. The delivery was made possible with funds from Japan.