A power outage caused by renewed shelling near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has threatened the site’s safety, the UN nuclear watchdog warned on Friday, adding the plant’s operator is considering shutting down the only remaining reactor.
“The shelling caused a complete blackout in Energodar (city) and threatened the safe operation of the nearby Zaporizhia (power plant),” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi tweeted, calling it a “dramatic development.”
“This is totally unacceptable. This is unacceptable,” he said, calling for “the immediate cessation of shelling throughout the area.”
“Only this will ensure the safety of the operating personnel and enable the permanent restoration of power supply to Energodar and the power plant,” he added.
The Zaporizhia power plant is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
It was occupied by Russian troops in March and shelled in recent weeks, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the attacks and stoking fears of a nuclear disaster.
Grossi said he learned of the shelling on Friday from IAEA staff on the ground.
The shelling of the switchgear of the Energodar thermal power plant led to a “complete blackout” in the city where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located, he said.
“No running water, no electricity, no sewerage,” he said.
– ‘Significant Risk’ –
Plant operators and others living at Energodar faced “deteriorating circumstances” with a “significant risk” that there would not be enough vital personnel at the plant.
And with the increased and sustained shelling, “there is little likelihood of restoring reliable off-site power,” he added.
“As a result, the IAEA understands that the operator, no longer confident in restoring off-site power, is considering shutting down the only remaining operational reactor,” he said.
The plant has relied on this reactor for the past few days for the power it needs for cooling and other safety functions.
“The entire power plant would then be entirely dependent on backup diesel generators to provide vital nuclear safety and security functions,” Grossi warned.
The IAEA on Tuesday called for the establishment of a containment zone around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, saying the current situation was “unsustainable”.
The IAEA sent a 14-strong team to the site last week. Two members stay there permanently to ensure the security of the facility.
Kyiv on Wednesday called for an international mission to be set up at the plant and for the population to be evacuated over fears of a nuclear disaster.
