IAEA chief warns: Critical point at Zaporizhzhya

The water level at the nuclear power plant in Ukraine continues to drop.

Within two days it can go below the critical point.

Now the staff has activated a backup plan that will save the reactors from meltdown – for a few months.

The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya has been in focus since the war began. Fighting has raged near the reactors and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, has repeatedly sounded the alarm about safety.

The collapsed dam in Kakhovka has now brought the situation to a head.

The nuclear power plant takes its cooling water from the gigantic water reservoir which is now running out hour by hour.

The key figure is 12.7 meters. If the water drops below that level, it can no longer be pumped up to the cooling system.

On Wednesday evening, the gauge stood at 14.03 metres, a drop of 2.8 meters since the dam burst early Tuesday morning.

– If the current pace continues, the 12.7 meter level could be reached within the next two days, says IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in a statement on the IAEA website on Wednesday.

Now the staff at the nuclear power plant are working in a panic against the clock. While it is still possible, they pump as much water as they can into various reserve basins.

Near the reactors is a separate cooling pond that is separated from the depleting reservoir. In the area there are also several smaller basins and canals which are now filled to max.

According to Rafael Grossi, the collected water can be enough “for several months” to keep the reactor cores and the spent fuel rods cooled.

– Even if the six reactors are not running, they still need cooling water to avoid the fuel melting and a possible release of radioactive material, says the director general.

In an interview with Sky News he repeats that the situation “in the worst case can lead to a meltdown”.

– There is definitely a risk, maybe in a few weeks or a month, but something has to be done, he says to the TV channel.

– We don’t want to create panic, but it is a serious situation. Normally, you have to have a guaranteed amount of water circulating in the reactors. If you lose that ability, it becomes a problem. Maybe it can be postponed for a few days or weeks, but the problem will be there.

The separate dam adjacent to the sinking river is central, according to Grossi.

– It is crucial that this cooling pond remains intact. Nothing must be done to potentially weaken it, he said in a speech on Tuesday.

In Wednesday’s status report, he repeated that message and announced that he is traveling to Zaporizhzhya next week to monitor the situation on the ground.

– Now more than ever, the IAEA’s reinforced presence is of crucial importance to reduce the danger of a nuclear accident at a time of increased military activity in the region. The possible loss of the plant’s main source of cooling water further complicates an already extremely difficult and challenging situation.