Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said it was encouraging to see the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) being “considered in ongoing conversations” on the military conflict in Ukraine and he stressed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was ready to provide its technical support for those efforts.

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“Without interruption, the IAEA has been present at this major nuclear plant for two and a half years now, doing everything possible to help prevent a potentially disastrous nuclear accident. We all wish for this devastating war to end as soon as possible,” Director General Grossi said.

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“With our in-depth knowledge and expertise about the situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, we stand ready to provide our technical contributions and support in the implementation of a future agreement regarding the plant. We will remain present for as long as it is needed to help ensure nuclear safety and security,” he said.

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Earlier this week, Director General Grossi said in a social media statement that he welcomed “developments on restraint around energy infrastructure” which would contribute to the safety of the ZNPP, located on the frontline of the conflict.

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At the ZNPP over the past week, the IAEA team based there has been observing various maintenance activities that are currently being conducted, an area of work that is of critical importance for overall nuclear safety and security but challenging to sustain during the military conflict.

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These activities include maintenance at the plant’s 750 kilovolt (kV) open switchyard, where a new fixed diesel generator has also been installed to provide electricity in case all off-site power were to be lost again. In addition, the team monitored maintenance of the main transformer of reactor unit 5 and of safety equipment in unit 1. Separately, the 330 kV back-up power line was temporarily disconnected for maintenance of a circuit breaker in this switchyard.

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“For all nuclear power plants, regular maintenance of structures, systems and components is necessary to prevent degradation of these essential items that would increase the risks to nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

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“This has been a particularly challenging issue during the past three years of war, when much of the focus has been on averting more immediate threats to nuclear safety and security and there has also been a lack of staff and other resources. That remains very much the case but it is positive that some maintenance is still being carried out,” he said.

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In his latest report on Ukraine, issued ahead of the regular IAEA Board of Governors meeting earlier this month, Director General Grossi said that the ZNPP had provided the IAEA with the plant’s high-level maintenance plan for 2025, including periods of planned maintenance for all its six reactor units.

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However, he also noted in the report that “the maintenance being conducted is not yet at the comprehensive level that would normally be expected”.

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Over the past week, the IAEA team also visited the reactor building and safety system rooms of the ZNPP’s unit 2, observing the presence of condensation on the walls and floor of the reactor hall and some preliminary signs of corrosion in some unpainted areas. The ZNPP said the condensation was caused by the cold shutdown status of the reactor.

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Last week, the IAEA team reported hearing military activities at various distances away from the ZNPP, but it had appeared quieter so far this week.

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Elsewhere in Ukraine, planned maintenance and refuelling activities at one reactor unit of the Khmelnytskyy NPP are continuing, while one of the reactor units at the South Ukraine NPP had to temporarily reduce power to repair a pump water leak, which has now been completed.

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On most days over the past week, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported hearing air raid alarms. Last Friday, the teams at the Khmelnytskyy and Rivne NPPs sheltered at the sites.

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Separately, the IAEA has continued with its comprehensive programme of nuclear safety and security assistance to Ukraine, with two new deliveries of equipment bringing the total number since the start of the armed conflict to 115.

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The Rivne Regional Centre for Hydrometeorology received one Gamma Spectrometer System and the State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – a pick-up truck. The deliveries were supported with funding from the European Union and the Republic of Korea. More support is expected to reach Ukraine in coming months.

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Text Courtesy, IAEA