IAEA explains what it means to disconnect ZNPP's backup power supply line
The lack of backup power means that the nuclear safety situation at the plant remains unstable
The United Nations Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a statement in connection with the disconnection of the backup power supply line to Zaporizhzhya NPP.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrenergo reported that the line was disconnected due to shelling by Russian troops.
The IAEA quoted its experts at the Zaporizhzhya NPP as saying that the 330-kilovolt line was disconnected on Tuesday at 14:04 "due to a problem on the other side of the Dnipro River, approximately 13.5 km away".
"Zaporizhzhya NPP continues to receive the necessary electricity through a single 750-kilovolt line, but the loss of the 330-kilovolt line means that the plant currently has no backup supply," the IAEA said in a statement.
According to the agency, the Ukrainian authorities have informed it of the start of restoration work. Earlier, Ukrenergo said that there were hostilities in the area of the accident, so "emergency repair work is carried out depending on the security situation and with the permission of the military".
ZNPP needs electricity, among other things, to ensure the operation of the plant's protective and cooling systems, which prevent an accident.
"The very precarious situation with the plant's external power supply continues to pose a significant challenge to the safety of this large-scale nuclear facility," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement. "While the main power supply line continues to operate, the lack of backup power shows that the nuclear safety situation at the plant remains unstable.
Zaporizhzhya NPP, located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, is occupied by Russian troops. The right bank of the river remains under the control of Ukraine.
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