““The growing instability of the power system is raising concerns about nuclear safety, which affects all nuclear power plants””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“The situation surrounding the Ukrainian energy system is also a matter of concern in the context of nuclear safety at the three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Yuzhno-Ukrainian, which require a stable connection to the national power system both for the transmission of generated electricity and for receiving external power supply to perform critical functions of nuclear safety,” the statement said.
According to the IAEA director general, “the risks to these nuclear plants became apparent last weekend when energy infrastructure across the country was hit by massive Russian strikes – less than three months after military strikes caused significant damage to a number of electrical substations across the country, which the IAEA determined as important for nuclear safety”.
“Four of these substations and their power lines were again hit by shelling on the night of November 16 and the early morning of November 17, forcing the operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants to reduce power as a precautionary measure,” Grossi said.
He added that “in recent days, operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants gradually began to restore their power lines and increase electricity production, but on Thursday morning they again reduced electricity production as a precautionary measure, restoring it later.”
At the same time, on Thursday morning, the South Ukrainian NPP disconnected from two 750 kV power transmission lines for maintenance, continuing to receive electricity from backup systems.
“The growing instability of the energy system is causing increasing concern about nuclear safety, which affects all nuclear power plants,” the IAEA Director General emphasized.
It was informed that “before the latest attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Agency teams visited seven substations in September and October to assess the damage caused by the August attacks.”
“They documented significant damage at all substations visited, concluding that the power system’s ability to provide reliable external power supply to Ukrainian nuclear power plants has significantly decreased. Ukraine is implementing repair works and additional protective measures,” Grossi said.
He emphasized “the importance of observing seven basic principles of nuclear and physical nuclear safety, one of which stipulates that all nuclear power plants must be provided with a reliable external power supply.”
On the night of November 17, Russian troops launched a massive combined strike against the facilities of the energy sector of Ukraine, using, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 120 missiles and 90 unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Ukrenergo” warned about the consumption restriction measures planned for November 18, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. there will be two rounds of shutdowns at the same time. The company cited damage to energy facilities during a massive missile and drone attack by the Russian Federation as the reason for the return of restrictions.
Ukraine’s nuclear power plants cut electricity production on the morning of November 17 as a precautionary measure following a massive Russian strike on the country, which targeted energy infrastructure and put nuclear safety at further risk, Grossi said. According to his data, only 2 out of 9 reactors of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants are operating at 100% capacity.