“It's the first time”: nuclear officials denied access to Zaporizhia reactor halls

“This is the first time.”
The Atomic Energy Authority is not allowed to visit the Zaporizhia nuclear reactor halls

January 3, 2024, 10:06 pm

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The Ukrainian nuclear power plant at Zaporizhia is the largest in Europe and is occupied by the Russian military. The International Atomic Energy Agency wanted to inspect the reactor halls to get an overview of the situation – but was denied access. First to the system.

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been prevented from inspecting the reactor halls of three units at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the agency said. Experts have not been allowed to enter reactor halls of units one, two and six for the past two weeks, explained IAEA Director Raffaele Grossi. “This is the first time that IAEA experts have not been given access to the reactor hall of a unit that was in cold shutdown.”

Additionally, access to certain areas of the power plant's turbine halls is restricted, Croci explained. The IAEA is awaiting access to the reactor roofs scheduled for December 19, which “did not take place due to safety reasons.” Grassi said his team will continue to request access to the reactor halls, where the reactor core and spent fuel are located.

Dissatisfaction with care

However, the authority was able to implement important improvements. Grossi announced that the plant's emergency power system has been upgraded to prevent a nuclear accident. At the agency's insistence, Russian operators have set up a system that automatically connects the nuclear plant to a backup power line if the main line fails.

The power plant, which currently does not produce electricity, requires external power to ensure long-term cooling of the reactors. The nuclear power plant has already experienced several temporary blackouts as a result of the Russian war of aggression.

Grossi hailed the emergency power system's progress as a “significant development.” However, he expressed displeasure over maintaining a nuclear power plant under Russian occupation. The IAEA chief said operators had yet to notice a small leak in a reactor building that caused boric acid to leak out of the cooling system. Such leaks are not uncommon, but they must be fixed “properly and immediately” to “prevent further and more serious impacts on security,” Croci warned.

More information about the war in Ukraine can be found here