Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Loses External Power for Nearly Two Hours

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, experienced a near two-hour power outage on Saturday due to a loss of external electricity supply. This incident, the 23rd of its kind since Russia's occupation of the plant began in February 2022, has heightened concerns about nuclear safety.

The plant's last remaining high-voltage power line, Ferrosplavnaja-1, was disconnected. During the outage, diesel generators were activated to maintain essential safety systems, including the cooling of reactors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has observers at the site, has repeatedly stressed the necessity of reliable external power for the plant's safe operation.

Although all six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant are shut down, the facility still requires a constant electricity supply to cool the nuclear fuel and operate other critical safety mechanisms. The recurring power disruptions underscore the precarious situation at the plant, fueling fears of a potential nuclear accident.

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The nuclear power plant needs reliable external electricity sources for safe operation.