Europe’s largest nuclear plant survives month-long blackout
Energy workers restored power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant after it was temporarily occupied by Russian forces. As a result, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has emerged from its tenth blackout.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk announced this on Facebook on Thursday, October 23.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has just recovered from its longest blackout
On Thursday, October 23, it was revealed that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had emerged from its tenth and longest blackout.
"The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been brought out of blackout mode after energy workers restored power to the temporarily occupied facility. This marks the end of the plant’s tenth full blackout, which had lasted for the past month," the energy minister said.
She added that, following the completion of repairs to the 750 kV Dniprovska line, repairs to the 330 kV Ferosplavna line are ongoing.
She noted that, during this time, the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant was maintained solely by emergency diesel generators. This posed an unprecedented threat to nuclear and radiation safety in Ukraine and across the European continent.
Hrynchuk explained that Russian occupation forces caused the month-long power outage by systematically shelling and damaging the power lines connecting the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine's unified energy system.
According to the minister, Ukrainian energy workers have restored power lines to the plant 42 times since the start of the invasion.
"The only way to ensure long-term nuclear safety is to completely demilitarize and de-occupy the Zaporizhzhia NPP and return it to the full legal control of the Ukrainian operator, Energoatom.
I am grateful to every energy worker, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and all our partners for their unwavering support and efforts to ensure nuclear safety," concluded Svitlana Hrynchuk.
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