Grossi is going to Kyiv: IAEA is concerned about Putin’s plans for ZNPP
28 May 2025 22:53
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi is concerned about Russia’s intentions to connect Zaporizhzhya NPP to its own power grid. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Euro News.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said he would visit Kyiv in the coming days amid reports that Russian troops are building power lines to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to its power grid.
“I can say that in the coming days I will go to Kyiv again, and possibly also to Russia,” Grossi said.
He emphasized that the situation at the front remains “extremely active” and that military operations continue in relative proximity to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“We are concerned about it, we are monitoring it. As you know, we are constantly present at the plant. And we will continue our negotiations with both sides, including the Russians, on this issue.”…. This is an issue that requires very careful consideration and perhaps a very careful safety assessment. So that’s one of the items that I’m going to discuss with them over the next few days,” he concluded.
ZNPP
Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the third largest in the world by total capacity. Located in the Zaporizhzhia region near the city of Enerhodar, it consists of six nuclear power units of 1 GW each. Its construction began in 1981, and the first unit was commissioned in 1984. The last unit, the sixth, was commissioned in 1995.
ZNPP annually produced about 40 billion kWh of electricity, which was about 20% of Ukraine’s total power generation. It is also the first nuclear power plant in the country to have a dry spent fuel storage facility.
The Russian army seized ZNPP on the night of March 4, 2022, after shelling the nuclear facility. Russia has also occupied the city of Enerhodar, near which the nuclear power plant is located.
Since the beginning of the Russian occupation, Zaporizhzhia NPP has experienced eight full blackouts and one partial blackout, with the launch of emergency diesel generators and safety systems. According to Energoatom, their failure threatens to cause an emergency.
The last time the plant faced the threat of blackout was on August 23 last year.
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