On 23 December, Russia’s Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) issued a licence for the operation of Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) unit 1. The event was attended by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev as well as Rosatom First Deputy General Director for Nuclear Energy Andrey Petrov, Rosenergoatom Director General Alexander Shutikov and the Director General of JSC EO ZNPP, Ramil Galiev.
The licence was presented by the head of Rostechnadzor, Alexander Trembitsky. “Today we are opening a special page in the history of not only Russian, but also global nuclear energy. This event is not just an administrative procedure, but legal and technical confirmation of the fact that the safety of the Zaporizhia NPP is ensured at the proper level”, he noted in his speech. He emphasised that the path to licensing took three years, during which an in-depth safety examination and assessment of the condition of the equipment were carried out.
Obtaining a licence to operate power unit 1 is a key step to ensure long-term and safe operation of the station unit beyond the design period. This event assumes systematic work for the future as part of the integration of the plant into the legal framework of the Russian Federation.
Alexey Likhachev commented: “We are gradually approaching a possible change in the operating mode of power unit 1 in the future – resumption of electricity generation. This will require an appropriate decision and unconditional fulfilment of all requirements of the licence validity period, including ensuring security guarantees. Zaporizhia NPP – the largest NPP in Europe, and its production, will be a significant help in restoring the industrial potential of the region when the situation is normalised.”
Since 2022, a truly tremendous amount of work has been done to achieve this. In addition to completing all the necessary documentation, Russian specialists undertook a lot of work to assess the condition of the equipment.
Ramil Galiev noted: “During the 2025 repair campaign, maintenance and repair of safety system channels and systems important for the safety of all power units were carried out, such as: high-voltage switches, block transformers and auxiliary equipment on power units and much more. Work is being carried out on an ongoing basis to assess the technical condition of equipment and pipelines of the power units.”
Obtaining a licence opens up new horizons for the development of the station, including modernization of equipment and further integration into the country’s unified energy system. A major overhaul of the power units including the metal of reactor vessels is planned for 2026. Obtaining licences for units 2-6 is planned for 2026-2027.
During the ceremony, special words of gratitude were addressed to the ZNPP team, working in unprecedentedly difficult conditions in close proximity to the contact line, as well as the inspection staff of Rostechnadzor, which in 2025 alone carried out more than 260 control and supervisory activities at the site.
However, on 3 January, the 330 kV Ferrosplavnaya-1 back-up power line to the ZNPP was again disconnected by the automatic protection system, the plant’s press service reported, leaving the plant powered only by the 750 kV Dneprovskaya line. “No violations of safety limits or conditions have been recorded. The staff is ready to respond,” the report said. ZNPP reported that the line was damaged by fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the press service, all units at ZNPP remain shut down, and equipment maintenance is being carried out in accordance with all regulations and strict monitoring of radiation safety standards. The radiation background at the plant and its surrounding area is at a level that is consistent with normal operation of the power units. It does not exceed natural background levels.
Ferrosplavnaya-1 had been restored on 29 December during a ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after an earlier outage. “Today’s restoration of power transmission between switchyards of ZNPP and Zaporizhia Thermal Power Plant is important for ensuring availability of off-site power,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on X. “Both sides engaged constructively with the IAEA to help strengthen nuclear safety during military conflict. According to ZNPP: “The repair work was carried out jointly by specialists from the ZNPP and Rosseti. The entire process was carried out in the presence of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
Meanwhile, ZNPP Director Yuriy Chernichuk insisted to TASS that ZNPP is a Russian facility that operates under Russian rules and laws, and there is no possibility of managing it jointly with other actors. “ZNPP… is operated by the Russian operator JSC EO ZNPP (established by Rosenergoatom), by Russian personnel in accordance with Russian norms, laws, and regulations,” he said. He added that he could not imagine any other form of management for the plant. He was responding to press reports that joint operation of the plant with Ukraine and the IAEA was being proposed as part of peace plans under discussion in the US.
