“This is the first time”
The nuclear authority is not allowed access to the Zaporizhzhia reactor halls
January 3, 2024, 10:06 p.m
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The Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia is the largest in Europe and is occupied by the Russian army. To get an overview of the situation, the International Atomic Energy Agency wants to inspect the reactor halls – but is denied access. A first for the organization.
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been prevented from inspecting the reactor halls of three units in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to the organization. Experts were not allowed to enter the reactor halls of units one, two and six in the past two weeks, explained IAEA Director Rafael Grossi. “This is the first time that IAEA experts have not been given access to a reactor hall of a unit that was in cold shutdown.”
In addition, access to some parts of the power plant’s turbine halls remains restricted, explained Grossi. The IAEA is also waiting for access to the reactor roofs planned for December 19, which “did not take place due to safety concerns.” Grossi said his team would continue to request access to the reactor halls, where the reactor core and spent fuel are located.
Dissatisfied with maintenance
However, the authority was able to implement important improvements. Grossi announced that the plant’s emergency power system had been improved to prevent a nuclear accident. At the agency’s insistence, Russian operators have set up a system that automatically connects the nuclear power plant to a backup power line in case the main line fails.
The power plant, which currently does not generate electricity, needs external electricity to ensure the long-term cooling of the reactors. Temporary power outages have already occurred several times at the nuclear power plant as a result of the Russian war of aggression.
Grossi praised the improvement of the emergency power system as an “important development.” However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the nuclear power plant under Russian occupation. The IAEA chief reported that the operators had not yet taken care of a small leak in a reactor building through which boric acid had escaped from the cooling system. Such leaks are not unusual, but they must be remedied “properly and promptly” “to prevent further and potentially more serious impacts on security,” warned Grossi.
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