Ukraine announced on Sunday the shutdown of the sixth and last reactor in operation at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, in the south of the country, the largest in Europe and occupied by Russian forces.
“Today, September 11, 2022, during the night at 03:41 (01:41 GMT) unit number 6 of the (central) was disconnected from the power grid, announces a press release from the Ukrainian operator Energoatom. Preparations are underway for its cooling.”
This sixth and last reactor was for three days the only one to produce the electricity necessary for cooling the nuclear fuel and for the security of the site. The decision to shut it down was taken when the power supply outside the site was restored on Saturday evening, according to the operator, with one of the transmission lines. According to Energoatom, a cold shutdown is “the safest state” for the reactor.
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“In the event of further damage to the transmission lines connecting the site to the electrical system – the risk of which remains high – the internal needs (of the site) will have to be provided by generators running on diesel,” warns Energoatom.
In this press release, Energoatom reiterates its call for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around the plant, the only way according to the operator to ensure its security. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly expressed alarm at the “unacceptable” situation at the plant, which is regularly the target of belligerent fire.
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(with agencies)
