Kyiv, Ucrania (CNN) — The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is in the hands of Russian forces, has been reconnected to Ukraine’s power grid, nuclear operator Energoatom said in an updated statement on Friday.
“Today, August 26, 2022, at 2:04 p.m., one of the ZNPP power units that stopped yesterday was connected to the power grid, and capacity is being added,” the statement said.
“The nuclear workers of the Zaporizhia NPP are true heroes! They tirelessly and firmly hold the nuclear and radiological safety of Ukraine and the whole of Europe on their shoulders and work selflessly so that their home country has life-giving electricity,” add statement.
The plant had been shut down for the first time in its history on Thursday, according to the country’s nuclear operator.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky himself said backup diesel generators were “immediately activated” at the plant on Thursday to prevent a “radiation disaster.”
“The world must understand what a threat this is: if the diesel generators had not been turned on, if the automation and our plant personnel had not reacted following the blackout, then we would already be forced to overcome the consequences of the radiation accident,” he said. Zelensky during his evening speech.
Generators are installed to supply power to cooling pumps to prevent fuel from overheating in the event of a blackout.
“Russia has put Ukraine and all Europeans in a situation one step away from a radiation disaster,” Zelensky said, adding that officials from the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, must have urgent access to the site.
In a statement Thursday, Energoatom said fires at a nearby thermal power plant caused the nuclear plant’s last remaining electrical power line to go offline twice. The plant’s other three lines had been “lost earlier during the conflict,” he added.
Energoatom blamed Russia for the disconnection. “The invaders’ actions caused a complete disconnection of the ZNPP (Zaporijia Nuclear Power Plant) from the power grid, the first in the plant’s history.”
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said Thursday that the continued presence of Russian forces in and around the plant is a “constant trigger of a possible nuclear disaster.”
“Today’s events are another vivid confirmation of that,” he said, adding: “Who is ready to take responsibility for tomorrow’s security?”
Halushchenko called on the international community to ensure nuclear safety, saying “urgent de-occupation and demilitarization of the ZNPP is the only way for Europe to sleep in peace and not be afraid of nuclear clouds in its sky.”
The nuclear plant, which is the largest in Europe, has been under Russian control since March. Clashes around the compound have sparked widespread concern and fears of disaster.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of using the plant as a shield, risking a possible disaster at the plant. The Kremlin, in turn, has repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of bombing the plant.
The Russian-installed regional governor blamed Ukrainian military action for the outages, adding that “work was underway to restore power supply to the region and launch the second power unit.”
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant generates around 20% of Ukraine’s electricity and a prolonged outage of the national grid would be a major challenge for the country as colder weather approaches.
Negotiations are under way for the IAEA to visit the plant. “Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. We cannot afford to waste any more time. I am determined to personally lead an IAEA mission to the plant in the next few days to help stabilize the security situation and nuclear protection there,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the statement.
He previously told France 24 that they were “very, very close” to a deal with Russia.
A 'dangerous situation'
Thursday's shutdown has raised concerns that Moscow is trying to divert electricity produced in Zaporizhia to Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
This opinion was put forward on Monday by Kotin, CEO of Energoatom, Ukraine's state power operator, who accused Russia of trying to disconnect the plant from the Ukrainian grid "and then trying to reconnect it to the Russian system", in an interview. with CNN.
He said that the only way to do it would require a total shutdown of the plant "and a complete cut off of all the lines that are connected to the Ukrainian system. Because the frequencies at the moment are different, the Russian frequency and the Ukrainian frequency, we are synchronized with the European system, and they are synchronized with Russia".
But he warned that once the fourth line was damaged, "we will have more blackouts throughout the plant," he said, describing it as a "dangerous situation" because the plant would rely only on diesel generators, which are unreliable. “because they need fuel for their work, and also…they have a limited ability to constantly be in work mode.”
Nuclear power plants use various auxiliary safety systems, such as diesel generators and external grid connections, to keep the reactors cool. If those systems failed, the nuclear reactor would quickly heat up and cause a nuclear meltdown.
Citing Ukraine, the IAEA said on Thursday that the plant "remained connected to a 330 kV line from the nearby thermal power facility that can provide backup electricity if needed."
US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said on Thursday that "any attempt to disconnect" the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant "from Ukraine's power grid and redirect it to the occupied areas is unacceptable." .
"It is clear that the bombing and seizure of Ukraine's power plants and infrastructure by Russia is part of its strategy to create energy crises in Europe. We strongly condemn any action at ZNPP or anywhere else that affects health and the well-being of civilians throughout the region," Patel said during a conference call with reporters.
Senior US State Department official Bonnie Jenkins also warned Thursday that Russia's actions at the plant "have created a serious risk of a nuclear incident, a dangerous release of radiation that might threaten not only Ukraine's people and environment, but also affect neighboring countries and the entire international community.
Jenkins, who is Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, called on Russia to cease its military activities around the plant and stressed the importance of an IAEA visit.
CNN's Sam Kiley, Bex Wright, Amy Cassidy and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
