The nuclear safety of the Ukrainian power plant in Zaporizhia (South-East) worries the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the latter through the voice of its director Rafael Grossi, in a press release.
According to the organization, the "last emergency power line" of the plant, damaged since March 1, remains "disconnected and under repair". However, it allows it as a last resort to ensure nuclear safety and security, in particular by cooling its reactors.
The plant has relied for three weeks on power supplied by a single main external 750 kV line, and "any damage [to this line] will result in the total loss of all offsite power to the plant". "Nuclear safety within the [plant] remains in a precarious state," said Rafael Grossi. “I once again call on all parties to commit to ensuring nuclear safety and protecting the security of the plant. »
On March 9, the gigantic power station, occupied by the Russian army, was cut off from the Ukrainian electricity network for 11 hours after a Russian strike.
Emergency diesel generators had been switched on to ensure a minimum supply of security systems, according to Energoatom, which had warned of the risk of a nuclear accident. "We are playing with fire," warned the IAEA director.
European Union High Representative Josep Borrell concurred, saying, "This is a serious violation of nuclear security, caused by Russia... Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe." And Russia endangers the security of the entire European continent, Russia included. »
Without the electricity produced by these generators, the overheating of reactor fuel can quickly cause a nuclear accident, in a scenario identical to that of Fukushima in Japan in 2011.
