After a four-day outage: Zaporizhzhia NPP returned to main power line, but risks remain
19 November 2025 20:21
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been reconnected to the 750 kV Dniprovska high-voltage line after a four-day outage, the IAEA has reported , "Komersant Ukrainian". The restoration of power gives the plant access to the second external line, which is essential for nuclear safety.
What happened
The agency emphasized that after the repair, ZNPP again has “two available external power lines” necessary for the operation of cooling systems and other critical mechanisms. The IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported this on social network X, emphasizing that the plant again has a backup in case of damage to one of the lines.
on November 14, the plant lost its main power line, 750 kV ZNPP-Dniprovska. This put the facility in a situation where it could only operate from a single external grid or backup diesel generators, a scenario that the IAEA has repeatedly called dangerous.
Under the conditions of occupation, shelling and power system instability, regular power outages pose additional threats to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Power outages have become a regular occurrence for ZNPP
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian power engineers have restored the lines supplying the plant 42 times.
Each such incident, according to international experts, increases safety risks, as a stable power supply is key to preventing accidents at nuclear facilities.
The IAEA maintains an observation mission at the plant, but access for experts remains limited under the occupation. Grossi has repeatedly called for the creation of a security zone around ZNPP, but no agreed solution has been reached.
With the restoration of the second line, the situation has temporarily stabilized, but the risks of repeated emergency shutdowns remain high.
