“While the reconnection of the back-up power line is positive, the plant The external power situation remains extremely fragilewhich underlines the dangerous nuclear safety and security situation in the area,” said Mr. Grossi.
Back-up is essential
According to the IAEA, the plant’s connection to one remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) power line from the six that existed before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 was restored on Saturday.
The connection was interrupted on 1 March due to damage sustained on the other side of the Dnipro River. The four-month effort to restore connectivity reflects the challenging security situation in the region.
The ZNPP relying only on a main power line of 750 kV for important functions such as reactor cooling and nuclear safety since the conflict began. Before the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the plant had four power lines.
the The newly energized 330 kV line will serve as a backup and can be used to supply power to ZNPP if the main line is unavailable or damaged.
Since February 2022, the plant has experienced seven times of complete power outage from outside sources, forcing temporary reliance on emergency diesel generators for electricity, according to the IAEA.
‘So far’ no mines or explosives have been observed
No mines or explosive devices were detected around the plant by a group of agency experts, Mr. Grossi announced on Friday. The IAEA inspection team also noted that the plant have water reserves available despite the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam more than three weeks ago, he said.
In the inspection encouraged by reported that mines and other explosives had been laid in and around the plant, including mines near the cooling pond, Mr. Grossi said, adding that the IAEA was taking such reports very seriously.
“I have instructed our site experts to look into this matter and request the access they need to do their job,” he said. “Until now they are did not observe any mines or other explosives. More access is still needed. “