IAEA: Second back-up power line to ZNPP restored

It is noted that a 750/330 kV line has now also been restored and it is being used to provide the plant with power required for its safety functions, with the restored 330 kV line held in reserve. “In another development significant for nuclear safety at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, a reactor unit that was shut down yesterday has now entered a cold shutdown state like the facility’s five other reactors, meaning it will require less power for cooling,” the statement reads.

Despite these developments related to the plant’s access to external power, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasised that the nuclear safety and security situation at the plant – located in the middle of a war zone – remained precarious, the IAEA notes. The ZNPP’s four main external power lines are all down and it is not currently providing electricity to households, factories and others.