Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant disconnects from power grid after nearby fires
By Tim Lister and Yulia Kesaieva, CNNUpdated: Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:21:36 GMTSource: CNNUkraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is held by Russian forces, was completely disconnected from
By Tim Lister and Yulia Kesaieva, CNNUpdated: Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:21:36 GMT
Source: CNN
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is held by Russian forces, was completely disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history on Thursday, according to the country's nuclear operator.
The complex was disconnected Thursday due to fires at a nearby ash pits, causing the last remaining power line connecting to Ukraine's energy grid to disconnect twice, Energoatom said in a statement.
"The actions of the invaders caused a complete disconnection of the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant) from the power grid -- the first in the history of the plant," it wrote.
Later on Thursday, the Russian-installed regional governor said that "at the moment, the power supply to all cities and districts of the Zaporizhzhia region has been restored" from the plant after earlier disruptions.
The official, Yevhen Balytskyi, blamed Ukrainian military action for the earlier outages. "As a result of a strike by the armed formations of Ukraine on power lines in the area of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the territory of the security zone of the 750 kV overhead line caught fire. The fire was provoked by a short circuit on power lines," he said.
In a separate statement, Ukraine's State Inspection of Nuclear Regulation, which cited the nuclear operator Energoatom, said a power line from the plant was disconnected due to hostilities in the area.
As a result, one of the nuclear power units at the plant had also been disconnected, it said.
The complex has six reactors, but only two are operational at the moment.
It is unclear whether there is currently any disruption to the power supply at the plant. CNN has previously been told that there are 18 diesel generators at the plant as back-up sources of power to the reactors.
The nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March. Clashes at the complex have sparked widespread concern and fears of a disaster.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of using the plant as a shield, risking a potential disaster at the plant. The Kremlin has in turn repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant.
Tags:plant,disconnects,
