(Reuters) – Operators at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was captured by Russian forces in March 2022, have switched the shutdown mode of two reactors, according to the plant’s administration.
The plant, located on the front-line of the war between Ukraine and Russia, has been a subject of concern for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) due to shelling incidents around the station. The IAEA has been working to establish safety mechanisms to prevent accidents.
One of the six reactors at the plant requires a hot shutdown mode to produce steam for nuclear safety purposes, including the processing of liquid radioactive waste. The administration of the plant decided to transfer reactor No. 5 to a cold shutdown mode in order to conduct a scheduled technical inspection. As a result, reactor No. 4 was switched to a hot shutdown mode to provide steam for the station’s own needs.
The IAEA confirmed that the plant administration had informed them about the transition, stating that the other units remain in cold shutdown.
Moscow has expressed plans to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to Russia’s power grid, although none of the reactors are currently producing electricity. Ukraine, on the other hand, has vowed to retake the plant and all occupied Ukrainian land.
Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore
Credit: The Star : News Feed
