IAEA Director General Grossi concerned about security situation at Zaporozhye NPP

BRUSSELS. July 4 (Interfax) - The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi expressed concerns on Tuesday about the situation surrounding the security of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) after the shutdown of the Dneprovskaya power transmission line.

"This time the plant avoided a complete loss of all external power, which has happened seven times previously during the conflict, but the latest power line cut again demonstrates the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the plant," Grossi said in a statement released by the IAEA.

Power supply of the Zaporozhye NPP in Energodar via the power transmission line from Ukraine was restored following the shutdown in the early hours of Tuesday, the NPP's Telegram channel said in a statement released earlier on Tuesday.

"Efforts to put the 'Dneprovskaya' 750-kV line into operation were completed at 2 p.m. The plant is operating normally," its director Yury Chernichuk was quoted in the statement as saying.

The NPP's internal needs are being provided for according to the regular scheme. There are no problems with its operation, the statement said.

The shutdown of the high-voltage Dneprovskaya line, which supplies power to the NPP, was reported on Tuesday morning. The power supply was switched to backup transformers.

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. Two of its power units are undergoing maintenance, three are in a cold shutdown, and one (Unit 5) in a hot shutdown to provide for the Zaporozhye NPP's own needs.