Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Relies on Diesel Generators After Week Without External Power
IAEA warns of heightened nuclear safety risks as Ukraine’s largest nuclear facility has only about 10 days of diesel fuel available on site
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been without off-site electricity for more than a week and is relying on emergency diesel generators to maintain essential cooling systems, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Saturday, warning that reliable external power remains critical to nuclear safety.
The plant, which has six reactors that have remained shut down since 2022, requires electricity to operate systems that keep the reactors and spent nuclear fuel safely cooled even when the reactors are not generating power.
The IAEA said the facility currently has only around 10 days of diesel fuel available on site.
The Vienna-based nuclear watchdog said the plant has not received a diesel delivery to an off-site storage facility for approximately six months. However, additional diesel was delivered to the plant on Thursday and Friday from another off-site location.
“The availability of diesel fuel is of paramount importance whenever a nuclear power plant loses off-site power,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.
“The current situation once again shows why reliable external power and secure supply routes are indispensable for nuclear safety and security,” Grossi added.
Power loss linked to military activity
According to the IAEA, the plant lost its regular external electricity supply following military activity on the northern side of the Dnipro River, which separates the opposing forces in the area.
The agency said it was working to negotiate a local ceasefire that would allow repair crews to safely access and repair damaged electrical infrastructure and restore the plant’s external power connection.
The loss of off-site power is particularly concerning because nuclear facilities require a dependable electricity supply even when reactors are shut down.
If external power is unavailable, emergency diesel generators provide a crucial backup to cooling and other safety systems.
Drone incidents raise further concerns
The latest power crisis comes after a series of drone-related incidents at the facility.
The IAEA said Friday that three drone incidents had occurred at the plant during the week, with two employees injured.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the safety of the nuclear facility, which has remained at the center of the wider security risks created by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine on the banks of the Dnipro River, was seized by Russian forces in March 2022, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Although all six reactors have been shut down for years, the facility remains one of the most sensitive sites in the conflict because its cooling and other essential safety systems must continue operating.
Russia and Ukraine trade accusations
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of attacks and other military activity around the plant.
The IAEA has maintained a permanent monitoring presence at Zaporizhzhia since September 2022, seeking to assess nuclear safety and security conditions and facilitate measures to prevent an accident.
The agency has repeatedly stressed that nuclear facilities must not be exposed to military activity and that uninterrupted access to external electricity is essential for maintaining nuclear safety.
With the plant now dependent on emergency generators and facing limited diesel reserves, the IAEA’s efforts to secure a localized ceasefire have taken on added urgency.
A prolonged loss of external power could place additional pressure on backup systems, underscoring the risks posed by continued military activity around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.