IAEA: Safety at the Zaporizhzhya NPP is compromised on six of the seven "pillars"

IAEA: Safety at the Zaporizhzhya NPP is compromised on six of the seven "pillars"

The security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant remains unstable.

This was stated by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, during his speech before the Agency’s Board of Governors.

According to him, six out of the seven "pillars of nuclear safety" have been breached at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. These are seven essential components of nuclear and physical safety established by the IAEA at the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion. They include physical integrity, operational equipment, no pressure on personnel, reliable power supply, continuous logistics, radiation monitoring, and functioning communication channels. 

He added that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is powered by only one external power line, which poses "serious safety risks." All six reactors of the plant are in a state of cold shutdown, and under current conditions, none of them can be safely restarted.

The head of the IAEA reported that the water level in the cooling pool has dropped to 13.4 meters, approaching the critical threshold of 12 meters, below which the cooling systems fail. According to him, a pumping station needs to be built to ensure the reliable operation of the cooling systems.

He noted that ongoing military actions in the immediate vicinity of the plant cause deep concern and multiply the risks.