The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has been campaigning for the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant during his visit to Russia. The plant has been occupied by Russian troops since early March 2022, and buildings have been damaged by rocket fire, and the external power supply has failed at times. Grossi wants a protection zone for the nuclear power plant, which has been a long-standing request.
During his visit to Russia, Grossi met with Rosatom General Director Alexey Likhachev to talk mainly about security in the plant. According to Rosatom, the Russian side supports Grossi’s initiative to ensure nuclear safety in the plant and is ready to continue work on the implementation of the initiative. The Russian and Ukrainian sides blame each other for the attacks on the plant.
Grossi had previously visited the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in March 2022, where he had inspected the damage that the plant had sustained from bombing. All six reactors were shut down, and two were in a hot shutdown. The plant was powered externally by a 750 kV line. On March 9, the connection was interrupted for eleven hours, and emergency diesel generators came in to ensure the cooling of the reactors and other important safety functions. According to the Rosatom report, the emergency diesels have been renewed by Russian authorities.
Overall, Grossi’s visit to Russia was aimed at increasing the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The Russian side has confirmed its support for Grossi’s initiative, and the implementation of the initiative will hopefully begin soon. The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is vital for Ukraine, and ensuring its safety is of utmost importance.
