Blackout at Zaporizhzhya NPP, Energoatom says radiation safety threatened

In the evening of 1 December, during the air alarm, the 330 kV power line "Zaporizhzhya TPP - Ferrosplavnaya", through which the plant received power from the Ukrainian energy system, broke down. And already at night, at 02:31, during the air alarm, the last power line "Zaporizhzhya NPP - Dniprovska" with a voltage of 750 kV was de-energised. Due to the complete blackout ZNPP switched to supplying its own needs from diesel generators. This was reported in NAEK Energoatom.

According to Ukrenergo, in automatic mode switched on all 20 diesel generators, eight of which were later left in operation.

The biggest safety threat in such a state exists at Unit 4. It is caused by the fact that the occupiers used it in violation of the terms of the Ukrainian regulator's licence to operate NPP reactor units and kept it in a hot state. The de-energisation of the main circulation pumps that cool the core leads to the reactor unit switching to the natural circulation mode," Enerhoatom explained.

The NAEK stressed that such a mode is severe for the reactor unit, its duration is limited by the project, and because of it there is a threat of failure of the main equipment of the power unit.

We shall remind you that Russian occupants seized the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant at the beginning of a full-scale invasion of our land.