Category: IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Globally, nuclear power is crucial for generating an abundant, clean and secure energy supply, with its usage expected to grow in the coming decades. The communities that host nuclear facilities play a key role in this story and are vital to the success of any nuclear power programme.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team today visited a substation critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and reported damage as a result of recently reported military activities, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.  

Following reports of the damage caused, the IAEA promptly dispatched a team to one of the affected substations that had been targeted. The IAEA team conducted a thorough walkdown of the area, gaining immediate, first-hand insights into the damage and assessing its impact on the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants (NPPs).  

The team confirmed the damage to the substation’s equipment and determined that there was a negative impact to the reliability of the off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs, thus affecting nuclear safety and security. 

“Attacks on Ukraine’s power grid represent an ever-present danger to nuclear safety and security to all nuclear facilities in Ukraine,” Director General Grossi added. 

While restoration activities on the power grid are on-going, one NPP remains without one of its off-site power lines and further repair work is needed. The IAEA will continue to monitor the situation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded a ten-day mission to review Latvia’s preparedness and response framework for nuclear and radiological emergencies. The Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) Service was carried out at the request of the Government of Latvia and hosted by the Radiation Safety Centre of State Environmental Service of Latvia (RSC SES).

The objective of the mission was to conduct a peer review of Latvia’s arrangements and capabilities for emergency preparedness and response against the IAEA safety standards and to provide advice for further enhancements.

Latvia does not operate any nuclear power plants. The country uses radiation sources in medical, scientific and industrial applications. The country’s research reactor has been permanently closed since 1998 and is currently in the early stage of decommissioning. Latvia operates a disposal and storage site for low and intermediate level radioactive waste, which is located 30 kilometres from the capital Riga. 

In addition to meeting with counterparts from RSC SES in Riga, the EPREV team interviewed a number of other Latvian government organizations, including: the Ministry of Climate and Energy; the Ministry of Agriculture; the State Emergency Medical Service; Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital; the State Fire and Rescue Service; the Food and Veterinary Service; the Latvian Environment, Geology and Metereology Centre; and the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment.

Genaro Rodrigo Salinas Mariaca, Senior Specialist on Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation in the United Arab Emirates, led the six-person review team, which included experts from Bulgaria, Indonesia, Portugal, Finland and the IAEA. 

“Over the course of our work, we observed a strong commitment across institutions to enhancing nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response in Latvia,” Salinas Mariaca said. “The outcomes of this mission highlight both well-established practices and valuable opportunities for further strengthening integration, coordination and resilience.”

The EPREV team identified strengths in Latvia’s EPR framework, including:

• The continuous proactive approach and strong determination of the RSC SES in leading preparedness and response initiatives for nuclear and radiological emergencies, despite ongoing staff-related constraints;
• The government’s efforts to establish reliable communication channels to disseminate information and instructions to potentially affected populations, as well as to provide psychological counselling to first responders, emergency workers and the general public in case of emergencies; and
• Ongoing initiatives to build public trust through effective crisis communication as a way to strengthen the overall national emergency response framework.

The team also made suggestions to further strengthen EPR arrangements, including: 

• To align national regulations and emergency frameworks with relevant international safety standards;
• To implement a national coordinating mechanism in all emergency response organizations;
• To integrate the Crisis Management Centre into the national framework;
• To conduct hazard assessments in line with relevant international safety standards to support a graded, justified and optimized approach to nuclear and radiological emergency arrangements;
• To adopt reference levels, generic criteria and operational intervention levels in line with relevant international safety standards, defining guidance values for emergency workers and helpers, and including provisions to register and integrate non-designated emergency workers and helpers into emergency response arrangements; and
• To establish arrangements for environmental and food monitoring during emergencies, setting clear criteria for the termination of emergencies and transition to recovery, and ensuring post-emergency analysis to support continuous improvement. 

The team emphasized the importance of ensuring that RSC SES and all key organizations have sufficient qualified personnel to effectively carry out their emergency responsibilities. 

“Latvia welcomes the completion of the IAEA EPREV mission, and I thank the international team for their professionalism, expertise and constructive engagement,” said Latvia’s Minister of Climate and Energy, Kaspars Melnis. “This review has enabled us to benchmark our systems against international best practices, identify areas of strength and pinpoint opportunities for improvement. We are committed to translating the mission’s recommendations into concrete measures to further enhance our preparedness and response capabilities, ensure public confidence, and remain aligned with international safety standards. Latvia values its partnership with the IAEA and looks forward to deepening cooperation in the years ahead.” 

About EPREV Missions

EPREV missions are one of the peer reviews offered by the IAEA to strengthen nuclear safety in Member States. EPREV missions focus on the arrangements and capabilities to prepare for and respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies. EPREV missions are based on the IAEA Safety Standards in preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency.

IAEA Safety Standards

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure nuclear safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

(As prepared for delivery)

Madam President, excellencies, distinguished delegates,

I would like to start by congratulating Her Excellency Ms. Annalena Baerbock on her assumption of the office of the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It is an honour to address the General Assembly, to present the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2024, and to update you on the Agency’s work. I would like to commend and thank His Excellency Mr Ian Biggs of Australia, chairperson of the IAEA’s Board of Governors, for his efforts in finalizing the draft resolution on the report of the Agency.

This General Assembly is happening at a crucial moment. Conflict, the erosion of global norms, and the gap between poor and rich are pulling at the fabric of our coexistence.

At times like these, International Organizations have a decision to make: Either continue along the path as if nothing has changed or recognise the challenges we face and choose paths that meet them.

At the IAEA we have our eyes wide open to today’s realities, and I will endeavour to describe the paths we are taking to support international peace and security.

We work at the intersection of nuclear non-proliferation, energy security and development. Our unique mandate ranges from reducing the risk of more countries having nuclear weapons to using nuclear science and technology to help support our 180 Member States in meeting their economic, environmental and social goals.

In essence, we help the world answer a fundamental question, that for more than 80 years has shaped its existence: How do we use the atom? Do we use it to overcome disease, hunger, pollution and energy insecurity, or do we use it as a weapon capable of ending life on earth as we know it?

The IAEA widens the access to nuclear science, technology and know-how. That includes, radiotherapy machines that diagnose cancer; nuclear power plants that provide low-carbon energy; and nuclear science applications that improve agriculture, track pollution, and provide the facts on which sound policy is made.

The IAEA supports nuclear safety and security so that nuclear science and technology benefit people and the environment and do not harm them, even at times of war.

As Director General I travel across the world fulfilling the IAEA’s mandate. At times of diplomatic disagreements, I have used my good offices to meet with leaders on opposing sides. The IAEA’s presence and its scientific know-how has brought clarity in difficult and unprecedented circumstances, from elucidating the situation at nuclear power plants at the front lines of the war in Ukraine to providing trusted analysis of water samples off the coast of Fukushima.

Responding to unprecedented challenges and opportunities has meant applying our mandate and all the assets of the IAEA in new ways amid tight budgets being made even tighter by inflation.

Madam President,

Let me start with our role as the world’s nuclear watchdog and then describe in more detail our work supporting social and economic development.

When the IAEA confirms the peaceful use of a State’s nuclear material, confidence over nuclear activities is established. History shows that when confidence disappears, international peace and security are at risk. This was the case in the DPRK, in Iraq, in Syria and most recently in Iran.

Last year, the Agency conducted more than 3 000 in-field verification activities in more than 1 300 facilities, with more than 240 000 significant quantities of nuclear material under its safeguards. As a result, we were able to draw safeguards conclusions for 175 States for which safeguards were applied. Where there have been unanswered questions, we have been firm, fair and steadfast in our efforts of engagement.

In June, after the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, we had to withdraw our inspectors. In September in Cairo, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Abbas Araghchi and I signed, under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, an agreement that provides a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications, and implementation.

It is now time to implement the agreement. I am confident that a return of IAEA inspectors and the resumption of safeguards implementation in Iran would serve as a sign that agreements and understandings are possible. Nothing can replace dialogue in the pursuit of durable, lasting solutions to international challenges.

Both in international organizations and in diplomacy it is as important to grasp opportunities, as it is to rise to challenges. We must pursue every chance to bring States back into the fold of the international community. The IAEA has been doing this in Syria. I have met with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa as we look to make transparent and close a chapter of Syria’s past nuclear activities and enable the Syrian people to benefit from the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.

The global nuclear non-proliferation regime is under significant strain and we need to protect it. This is a message I shared with the Security Council a few months ago.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear weapons programme continues in contravention of several UN Security Council resolutions.

But even within some countries in good standing with their obligations under the NPT, there are now open discussions about whether or not to acquire nuclear weapons.

We do not want a world with dozens of nuclear-armed States. In times like these, your support of the non-proliferation regime, the NPT and the IAEA, is even more crucial to international peace and security.

In April next year, here at UN headquarters, the IAEA will again report to the NPT Review Conference on its work making operational this crucial treaty.

Madam President,

The war in Ukraine – the first to threaten a major nuclear power programme – continues to threaten nuclear safety and security. Frequent power outages caused by the fighting, and military activities near the NPPs, heighten the risk of a nuclear accident at Europe’s biggest Nuclear Power Plant.

Despite considerable challenges, including, more than once, direct attacks on our teams, the IAEA maintains an uninterrupted presence at all the plants, rotating staff in and out of the area. They are providing indispensable support, actively assisting operators in looking after the Seven Pillars of nuclear safety and security and the Five Principles for protecting the Zaporizhzhya NPP, which we established at the UN Security Council in 2023, while keeping the international community informed through regular updates.

In spite of the difficulties, I have kept an open dialogue with both sides, meeting with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to keep this terrible war from causing even more misery through a nuclear accident with radiological consequences. Meanwhile, we continue to deliver nuclear safety and security-related equipment, as well as medical equipment to Ukraine.

In another area of importance for nuclear safety, I have said that the IAEA will be there before, during and after the discharge into the sea of the water that once cooled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station’s reactors damaged in the 2011 accident and has been treated and stored.

Under the IAEA, independent monitoring, sampling, and analysis of the water has confirmed tritium levels that are well below regulatory and operational limits. In response to regional concerns, we introduced additional trust-building measures that expanded international involvement in the process.

Madam President,

For decades, scientists have been raising the alarm over the impact of harmful greenhouse gases on our planet and its people. But for many years, many people – including policy makers – looked away from a very important, proven low-carbon energy sources that is safe and scalable.

But the tide has now turned, and we have seen a return to realism when it comes to nuclear energy. Facts and the need for energy security have firmly overtaken misplaced ideology and the world has agreed that global climate goals cannot be met without it. Countries with nuclear programmes are expanding them, and about 30 “newcomer countries” are building or planning their first nuclear power plants.
In 2024, 417 operating nuclear power reactors in 31 countries produced about 10% of the world’s electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity. More than 60 new reactors were under construction and more planned.

Projections were again raised, with the IAEA expecting nuclear energy capacity to increase as much as two and a half times by 2050. The momentum continues, but there is work to do.

Three keys are required to unlock global nuclear capacity at that scale: One, newcomer countries require support; two, regulation must adapt; and three, financing needs to be made possible. In all three areas the IAEA made strong progress. The IAEA’s Milestones Approach remains the gold standard when it comes to developing a new nuclear programme, with our Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review missions supporting newcomer countries.

Many countries and industries are interested in using Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Developing countries see them as more affordable and appropriate ways to power their economic development. Technology companies want them to run the energy hungry data centres fuelling the AI revolution. But first SMRs will need to be deployed, and that will require regulators to update their approaches without compromising safety. The IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) advanced its work in bringing together regulators to harmonize their approaches to regulation, and industry to standardize their approach to design. We have organized workshops and SMR schools in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and our SMR platform is a growing resource covering all aspects of the technology.

We continued to support non-power applications of nuclear energy, from hydrogen production to industrial heat, and seawater desalination to marine propulsion.

Developing countries must not be left behind, and the IAEA has been working with many in support of their wishes to introduce nuclear energy. We have also been working closely with the World Bank and other international financial organizations to make sure they have financing options. I am pleased to note that the World Bank this year lifted its ban on supporting new nuclear energy projects, marking a milestone and important step in getting nuclear power to countries that want and need it.

Madam President,

The range of lifesaving and life-affirming uses of nuclear science and technology is extraordinary. A very important part of the IAEA’s mandate is to widen their global reach. Our work in this area is deeply rooted in our mission of “Atoms for Peace and Development”. It is why many of our Member States join the IAEA and it is foundational to creating lasting peace and security.

Cancer is an acute crisis holding back many developing countries. It is a crisis for the those suffering from the disease and for the overwhelmed health systems unable to offer adequate treatment, including through the use of radiotherapy.

I have been determined that the IAEA, in close collaboration with its Member States and other international and financial organizations, be the catalyst for doing more. We have been doing this through the Rays of Hope initiative launched three years ago. Through Rays of Hope, concrete actions have been taken in 40 countries: hospitals have been built, radiotherapy machines procured, physicists trained, and lives saved. We have more than doubled the number of Rays of Hope Anchor Centres that serve as regional hubs of excellence and training across the world.

But more still needs to be done – we will continue, energized by the success of the past years.

Nuclear applications have also been key in fighting communicable diseases. I know that not one of us wants to witness another pandemic. But it is clear that COVID is not the last major zoonotic virus that we will have to contend with. The imperative is to catch their outbreak early. It is why, in the middle of COVID-19, we launched Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action, or ZODIAC. It has improved the preparedness of countries around the world. The ZODIAC network now is truly global, with 129 national laboratories already involved. More and more potentially devastating pathogens are being characterized, and the iVetNet platform now tracks data from more than 2 400 institutions. We are nipping the threat of the next pandemic in the bud.

Madam President,

In a world of abundance, 700 million people should not have to go to bed hungry.

Atoms4Food is a joint initiative between the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that provides tailor-made solutions to boost food security, support food safety and nutrition, and reduce agriculture’s strain on the environment. It is quite incredible what nuclear science and its applications can do.

Through Atoms4Food, we are supporting the use of irradiation to create hardier varieties of crops like bananas, cassava, rice and sorghum.
Through isotope hydrology, we are helping communities better manage their aquifers and water supplies.

Harmful insect populations are being shrunk through the Sterile Insect Technique, reducing pests like the fruit fly and New World Screwworm that decimate harvests and cause diseases in livestock.

In marine environments, we are fighting a different sort of pest. Microplastics are everywhere. They blight our common home and are present in the farthest reaches of our ocean. To create policies that tackle microplastic pollution, we must first better understand it. We need to know how it travels through our ecosystems and what impact it is having. The IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative has two distinct approaches to dealing with plastic pollution. One supports 100 Member States wanting to use technology like infra-red spectroscopy to monitor and characterize microplastic marine pollution. The second supports more than 50 Member States looking to radiation-assisted technology to upcycle plastic waste into valuable products like construction material. Together, these approaches inform policies and create pathways towards a circular economy in which less plastic ends up in the ocean in the first place.

Madam President,

I do not deny that the world is going through serious political upheavals and that there are many problems in need of solutions.

But the future has not been dimed. We must grasp opportunities, point out what is right with this world, and empower nations and people to be part of shaping their future. Optimism takes courage and in times like these we must find ways to bring people with us in hope.
In the history of humankind, we have never before had the chance to know and do so much.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are giving each of us the chance to create the future we want.

Nuclear energy is back, and fusion energy is coming on in leaps and bounds. Private capital and public programmes are accelerating progress towards demonstration plants. The IAEA is playing its own part, through its World Fusion Energy Group, which is advancing work on regulatory frameworks, commercialization pathways and public engagement. We are bringing together the smartest people in AI with the smartest people in nuclear energy to discuss how nuclear power can fuel AI and how AI can improve the nuclear energy sector.

Madam President,

Every challenge is an opportunity. Peace is not passive – it is a dynamic, hopeful striving that requires all of us, women and men working together.

One the first things I did when I was elected Director General, was to announce the target of having equal numbers of men and women in the IAEA’s professional and higher jobs categories. It was a bold call at the time. Back then, women made up less than 30 percent of those roles, the IAEA was behind other members of the UN family, and the nuclear sector was far from embracing its full potential pool of talent. I am proud to be able to tell you that we reached parity ahead of our 2025 target.

Meanwhile, our dedicated programmes to widen the workforce of the global nuclear sector continue, including the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme and the Lise Meitner Programme.

The IAEA has the steadfast support of its Member States. This is a testament to their belief in our mandate and in the way we are fulfilling it.
We have shown that it is possible to make a big positive impact by using the resources entrusted to us wisely and efficiently.

We have been working harder and smarter amid a budget that has witnessed zero nominal growth over several years of strong price inflation.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen,

The IAEA is indispensable, and it will continue to be in the years to come. Thank you for the support you have given me and the Agency. Together, we will continue to rise to global challenges, stay positive, grasp opportunities, and serve humanity actively and with a commitment that befits our noble cause. The IAEA truly and really delivers, for all.

Thank you.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Efforts to facilitate the repair of the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 power line at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are ongoing, following the discovery last week of additional damage to the line during the successful reconnection of the plant to Ukraine’s power grid, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

During repair work to restore off-site power to the plant – ending a full month without external electricity – the IAEA confirmed the detection of additional damage to the back-up Ferosplavna-1 line located about 1.8 kilometres from the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant’s switchyard. 

Negotiation efforts are now focused on the full restoration of the Ferosplavna-1 power line, one of ten lines the ZNPP had access to prior to the conflict. This line, along with the recently restored Dniprovska line, was one of the two remaining lines used by the plant. Ferosplavna-1 was lost on 7 May, while the Dniprovska line was disconnected late last month. Both sides have attributed the damage to ongoing military activity in the region.

“We continue to work intensively to support the conditions needed for this additional repair work to begin. Restoring this power line is essential to improving the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. 

Although the plant’s six reactors have been shut down for more than three years and are not generating electricity, they still require a stable power supply to operate essential safety systems, including cooling pumps and other nuclear safety and security equipment. Over the past month, these systems were powered by emergency diesel generators, underscoring the plant’s continued vulnerability amid the conflict.

Separately, the IAEA has been informed of military activity in Ukraine early this morning that has led to damage to substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Following this, IAEA teams at both South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) and Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) have reported that each of the plants have lost access to one of their off-site power lines. Furthermore, the IAEA team at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) have reported that the plant has reduced the power of two of its four units at the request of the grid operator. The team at KhNPP also had to shelter at their hotel for several hours this morning. 

“The dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present,” said Director General Grossi. “I once again call for maximum military restraint in the vicinity of nuclear facilities and full respect of the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security.” 

The IAEA continues to implement its comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine in nuclear safety and security. In October, the Agency delivered a package of support under the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO), established in response to the catastrophic flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. As part of this package, Ukrainian Meteorological Institute received a high precision isotopic water analyzer to support Ukraine’s environmental and hydrological monitoring efforts. Staff of the Institute also received training in Vienna on how to build essential skills for practical application and operation of the received analyser in support of conducting accurate isotopic analyses of water samples. The assistance was funded with support from Japan.

ISAMKO is designed to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to address the environmental, health, and infrastructural impacts of the disaster. The programme includes the procurement of equipment and supplies, technical advice, and capacity building in key areas such as civil structure integrity, food and water safety, public and animal health, and agricultural recovery. 

Previous deliveries under ISAMKO include diagnostic equipment for the Kherson Regional Clinical Hospital, radiation monitoring equipment for the South Ukrainian Geological Company and the regional state laboratory in Mykolaiv province received a generator and a real-time PCR cycler (Polymerase Chain Reaction, a nuclear-derived technique) for fast and accurate analysis to help it fight the spread of disease as a result of the flooding. 

“The IAEA is helping Ukraine not only uphold nuclear safety and security, but also respond to the environmental and health impacts of the Kakhovka dam flooding,” said Director General Grossi. “Even amid war, building national capacity with nuclear-derived tools is essential to protect people and ecosystems.”

The training delivered for the staff of the Ukrainian Meteorological Institute is the first in a series of trainings already planned for different ISAMKO beneficiaries, with three additional training events planned in the coming months. 

Further to this assistance work under ISAMKO, the IAEA continued its deliveries related to nuclear safety and security and medical assistance, bringing the total to 169 shipments of essential equipment and supplies to Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict.

As part of these deliveries, the SUNPP received personal protective equipment and medical units at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP), and RNPP and SUNPP received various medical supplies. The Slavutych City Hospital, the National Research Center for Radiation Medicine (NRCRM), Varash Hospital, and South Ukraine City Hospital, providing medical care for the NPP personnel, received a range of medical equipment and supplies.

All these deliveries were made possible through funding from Italy, Japan, and Sweden. With these deliveries, priority equipment and supplies worth over €20 million has reached Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was successfully re-connected to Ukraine’s electrical grid today after a month-long outage, following repairs carried out under the protection of a local ceasefire negotiated by the IAEA and observed by its teams on the ground, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. 

The restoration of off-site power to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – for the past several years located on the frontline of the military conflict – marks a significant positive step as last month’s loss of all external electricity supplies had further stoked concerns about the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the site.

“Today is a rare, good day for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and beyond, although the overall situation of course remains highly precarious. After exactly one month without any off-site power, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is once again receiving the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and spent fuel,” Director General Grossi said.

“Since the plant was disconnected from its last off-site power line on 23 September, we have been working intensively with the Russian Federation and Ukraine to create the necessary security conditions for repairs to be carried out on both sides of the frontline. Despite the war, they both agreed that it was vital to restore off-site power and cooperated constructively with us to make that happen,” he said.

In the reconnection process followed by an IAEA team on the ground and from the ZNPP’s electrical control room, the newly repaired 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska power line was energised by the Ukrainian grid operator at 09:30 local time and the ZNPP 750kV switchyard was fully powered two minutes later. The ZNPP then began gradually restoring power to its six reactor units and the remainder of the site.

At 13:00 local time off-site power was restored to the whole ZNPP site and the last of the emergency diesel generators – that had supplied back-up power for the past 30 days – was turned off, ending the tenth and by far the longest complete loss of off-site power suffered by the plant during the conflict.

“What was once virtually unimaginable – a nuclear power plant regularly losing off-site power – has unfortunately become a common occurrence during this devastating war. However, this was the most challenging loss of power event we have experienced so far. I would especially want to thank the technicians – on both sides of the frontline – who have been working hard in recent days to restore power in very difficult circumstances,” Director General Grossi said.   

Under IAEA monitoring, work to repair the Dniprovska and another damaged power line – Ferosplavna-1 – got underway last weekend after the establishment of temporary ceasefire zones on opposite sides of the Dnipro River. As both zones are in an active combat area, de-mining specialists conducted extensive clearance work before the actual repairs could begin.

The IAEA team based at the ZNPP monitored the work at the damaged section of the Dniprovska line, where technicians replaced several broken cables before re-attaching them to the transmission towers. A damaged metal support arm of one transmission tower was also replaced, and new insulators were installed in several towers.

The IAEA is continuing to coordinate with both sides to pave the way for further repairs of the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 line, where additional damage outside the ceasefire zone was identified this week. The IAEA was informed that two broken transmission cables were found 1.8km from the electrical switchyard of the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant, located near the ZNPP.

Before the conflict, the ZNPP had access to ten power lines. In recent years, that was reduced to two, of which Ferosplavna-1 was lost on 7 May while the Dniprovska line was disconnected late last month. Both sides blamed the damage on military activity.

The plant’s six reactors have not produced electricity for more than three years and have been shut down but they still require power to run their cooling pumps and for other nuclear safety and security equipment. Over the past month, the plant has relied on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs.

“There is still much work to do to further reduce the risks of a nuclear accident. The next step is to complete the repairs of the Ferosplavna-1 power line and then to prevent future loss of power events,” Director General Grossi said. 

“I once again call for full compliance with the IAEA’s Five Concrete Principles to prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The third principle states that off-site power to the plant should not be put at risk and that all efforts should be made to ensure that off-site power always remains available and secure,” he said. “The IAEA will continue its indispensable work at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and the other nuclear sites in Ukraine until this devastating war is over.”