By KYIV. Nov 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) on November 15 lost access to the electricity grid due to Russian missile attacks in the country, forcing it to temporarily rely on diesel generators for back-up power, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday, citing information received from the Ukrainian authorities.
"The KhNPP’s grid connection was completely lost at 18:35 local time on 15 November, after the site’s four operating power lines were progressively lost over a two-and-a-half-hour period because of missile attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine told the IAEA. During this period, the plant’s two reactors were shut down, halting their delivery of electricity to households, factories and others," the IAEA said.
According to it, More than nine hours later – at 03:45 this morning – the plant regained off-site electricity through two 330 kilovolt (kV) back-up power lines, and the diesel generators were stopped.
One of those lines was again lost about an hour later and only restored at 11:25. The two reactor units remain in shutdown mode.
The IAEA said that another nuclear power plant also located in western Ukraine – Rivne – lost the connection to one of its 750 kV power lines yesterday afternoon. As a result, the plant reduced its power output, and one of its four units was automatically disconnected. At 04:00 today, the plant increased the power of one of its other units to continue supplying electricity to the Ukrainian network.
"This was a very concerning development. It shows the potential nuclear safety and security risks facing all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities during this terrible war, not just the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. While off-site power is now back at the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant, yesterday’s [November 15] power loss clearly demonstrates that the nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine can suddenly take a turn for the worse, increasing the risk of a nuclear emergency," Grossi said.
He recalled that The power loss at the KhNPP came just a day after the IAEA announced it would in the coming weeks send nuclear safety and security missions to this plant, Rivne and the South Ukraine nuclear power plant as well as to Chornobyl. The missions are being organized at the request of Ukraine.
"We will be at these nuclear power plants in the near future as part of our steadfast assistance to Ukraine in its efforts to maintain nuclear safety and security and prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict," Grossi said.
The IAEA already has a team of experts continuously present at the ZNPP.
