Balitsky: the launch of the Zaporizhzhya NPP is not planned

It is not planned to launch the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the near future, Yevhen Balitsky, Acting Governor of the region, said. As the authorities of the region specified, at the moment the power supply at the Zaporizhzhya NPP has been restored, nothing threatens the station.

“So far, nothing threatens the station, it works, although it is in a cold mode, that is, it does not give electricity to the network, but it works for itself. To do this, it has all the necessary means: diesel generators, fuel, personnel. While in this mode. The radiation background is normal,” Mr. Balitsky said on the air of the Rossiya 24 TV channel (quote from RIA Novosti).

Mr. Balitsky noted that work is underway to restore communications in the Zaporozhye region, but shelling in the area is hindering. “A ‘safety zone’ around the ZNPP cannot be created until the front line is pushed back at least 100 km, otherwise it is not safe,” he added.

Volodymyr Rogov, Member of the Main Council of the Administration of the Zaporozhye Region clarifiedthat the power supply of the Zaporizhzhya NPP has been restored. According to him, backup and emergency power supply from diesel generators was carried out for less than an hour.

October 8 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on disconnecting ZNPP from external power supply and switching to emergency diesel generators. The shutdown of power supply occurred as a result of shelling, which damaged the last working power line of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. The next day, the station’s external power supply was restored.

In early September, the ZNPP was visited by an IAEA mission. Its final report refers to the need to create a “safety zone” around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant due to shelling. Who exactly leads them, the IAEA did not specify.

After the annexation of four territories to Russia, including the Zaporozhye region, on October 5, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree defining the conditions for the transition of ZNPP to Russian jurisdiction. The state will be the owner, for these purposes the government will create a new federal state unitary enterprise “Zaporozhye NPP”. The operator of the plant will be JSC Operating Organization of Zaporozhye NPP, a 100% subsidiary of Rosenergoatom Concern (part of Rosatom). In this regard, the Ukrainian side called on the G7 countries and the European Union to impose sanctions against Rosatom and the Russian nuclear industry.

More details – in the publication “Kommersant” “New Federation Object”.

Milena Kostereva