Over the past two weeks, the IAEA staff at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) have continued to monitor the site’s cooling water systems. The ZNPP’s six reactors have been in cold shutdown since spring 2024 but still require cooling water for their safety systems, reactor cores, and spent fuel pools. ZNPP’s external power situation remains vulnerable, with the plant having lost connection to its last remaining 330 kV back-up power line on 7 May, leaving it dependent on its sole 750 kV line.
The IAEA team received technical updates on water distribution across the site, including how water is fed to its nuclear safety and support systems. The team noted the increasing challenges of ensuring a reliable cooling water supply for the six reactors and their safety systems in their cold shutdown state, especially under current hot weather conditions, when the evaporation rate is high.
ZNPP updated the IAEA team on maintenance activities at the plant. While no maintenance work is currently taking place inside the containment of any of the plant’s six reactors, the ZNPP said routine servicing is being carried out in non-reactor areas, including the turbine halls and transformers. Maintenance on two safety trains from different units is also ongoing.
