9 Jun 2023 12:16

IAEA planning to send 13 delegates to Zaporozhye NPP

ROSTOV-ON-DON. June 9 (Interfax) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led by Director General Rafael Grossi is planning to send a delegation of 13 people to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Energodar, Renat Karchaa, an advisor to the Rosenergoatom head, told Interfax, confirming that a relevant note has been received.

"Yes, the UN Department of Safety and Security has sent a note to the Russian Federation. Competent agencies are now working with it. In parallel, efforts are being made to thoroughly work out the IAEA delegation's itinerary in detail. The presented list of IAEA delegates includes 13 people," Karchaa said.

The IAEA said previously that the trip was scheduled for next week. This will be the third visit of a delegation from the agency to the plant.

Grossi is planning to monitor the observance of safety principles and assess the situation in the wake of the collapse of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant (HPP) in the Kherson region. Plans to carry out a rotation of IAEA experts at the Zaporozhye NPP, with team enlargement, have also been reported.

The Kakhovka tragedy poses no direct threats to nuclear safety, Karchaa said, adding that the water level in the cooling pond of the Zaporozhye NPP remains unchanged, and the plant is ready to be switched over to alternative sources of water, if need be. In this regard, he called for refraining from aggravating the situation, which is already tense, and asked the public "not to think up or think out any sorts of threats, not to look for any unjustifiable reasons to be alarmed and not to paint any apocalyptic pictures."

In the early hours of June 6, an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces led to the collapse of valves and other structures of the Kakhovka HPP, which resulted in an uncontrollable discharge of Dnieper water downstream from the Kakhovka reservoir, located in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

The Zaporozhye NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, operates six VVER-1000 power units. The plant has not produced electricity since September 11, 2022. Five reactors are in cold shutdown, and one is in hot shutdown to meet the plant's needs.

The NPP's facilities have been transferred to Russian ownership, and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant Federal State Unitary Enterprise was established. The operator is the Operating Organization of the Zaporozhye NPP, which was established by Rosenergoatom, part of Rosatom state corporation.

Several IAEA experts have been deployed at the NPP on a rotating basis since September 1, 2022.