During the night ZNPP lost power from the main high-voltage line: what does it mean

On the night of August 10, the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost power from the main 750 kV outdoor power line. After that, ZNP had to switch to the only available 330 kV reserve line, the disconnection of which threatens the loss of external power.

"Energoatom" informed about thison their official website.

In the event of a blackout, the main threat to nuclear and radiation safety is the presence of the fourth unit of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in a "hot shutdown" state, which the occupiers use in violation of the terms of the Ukrainian regulator's license for the operation of reactor facilities at the nuclear power plant.

As noted by T.V.O. Taras Tkach, Executive Director for Production and Repairs of SE Energoatom NAEC, in the event of a complete loss of external power, the station's main circulation pumps will be turned off - and the power unit will switch to "natural circulation" mode: In this case, it is urgently necessary to "cool down" it in the absence of cooling pumps.

The work is difficult for a reactor power plant, its duration is limited by design and may lead to failure of the main equipment of the power unit.

“The Zaporizhzhya NPP must immediately be returned to the full control of the legal operator - NAEK Energoatom, with the subsequent bringing of the power plant to normal operation and the restoration of the nuclear and radiation safety of the facility. For this, urgent action by the entire international community is needed!” – we read in the message.

What will happen in the event of a failure in ZNPP?

The whole world remembers the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. Now there is a risk of an explosion at the Zaporozhye NPP. If that happens, the consequences will be much worse than in 1986. The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and the third in the world in terms of capacity.

On June 6, Russian troops blew up a hydroelectric power plant in Kakhovka. This significantly increased the risk of an accident at the Zaporozhye NPP. And if the power plant explodes, it will affect not only Ukraine, but the whole world.

According to the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone:

• Radiation from ZNPP will reach 40 countries and affect about 1 billion people.
• Many people will suffer from radiation sickness.
• The exclusion zone will be much larger than Chernobyl.

This scenario is quite possible if ZNPP does not have enough electricity and water.