The Curious Case of Zaporozhye NPP: Cold Shutdown or Just Cold Feet?
As winter creeps in, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) finds itself caught in a bit of a predicament. You know how they say the best way to stay warm is to wear layers? Well, not in this case. There are no plans yet to transfer any power units of the Zaporozhye NPP to a “hot shutdown” mode to provide what’s left of the city of Energodar with a much-needed winter heat wave. That’s what Evgenia Yashina, the plant’s communications director, told RIA Novosti. Thank goodness for the “necessary heat supply sources,” whatever they are!
Now, the authorities of Energodar had actually announced that they were all set to embrace the winter with heating supplies—perhaps with a touch of optimism or just a very warm blanket! But hold on to your hats, folks. Ukrainian UAVs just couldn’t resist a little fun at their expense, attacking and damaging a gas pipeline like a bad prank on winter’s doorstep. Now, wouldn’t that make a stupendous sitcom premise? Bad timing, questionable intent, and a city caught in the crossfire of bureaucratic hot potatoes!
“The station does not plan to transfer the units to a ‘hot shutdown’. The city is provided with the necessary heat supply sources and reserves,” Yashina reassures us, but can you feel the chill?
Ah, the “cold shutdown” mode—you know it well, right? It’s that delightful state where everything is safe and sound, but tantalizingly tepid. Yashina throws in a little gem about the city’s additional heat supply decisions; maybe they’re all investing in electric blankets and hot chocolate machines because let’s face it, who needs proper heating when you have a good PowerPoint presentation on winter preparedness?
Let’s rewind for a moment. All power units at the Zaporozhye NPP have been shuffled into “cold shutdown” mode like little nuclear penguins trying to avoid the big, bad cold. The last one to leave the “hot” party was power unit No. 4, and that dance happened back in April 2024. I guess you could say it was the hottest transfer since your aunt’s wedding – and we all know how those go!
The Zaporozhye NPP is the largest in Europe, housing six power units, each rocking a capacity of 1 gigawatt. To put it simply, it’s got enough potential energy to power a small country—or at least an enthusiastic karaoke night! But since October 2022, this plant has been under the Russian Federation’s “ownership,” and all it’s managed to generate since is a hearty cold shoulder. We’re talking no electricity production and all units feeling a bit lackluster in “cold shutdown” mode.
In summary, while the city of Energodar dons its thermal socks and wonders which government is going to provide the heat, the Zaporozhye NPP languishes in this curious state of limbo. The irony here, folks? We might just need a little less drama and a little more hot air—or hot “shutdown.” So as the temperatures drop, let’s hope the powers that be dig into those reserves, both of heat and humor, to warm things up a bit before winter truly settles in. Stay toasty out there, everyone!
There are no plans yet to transfer one or more power units of the Zaporozhye NPP to a “hot shutdown” mode to provide the city of Energodar with heat in the winter; the city is provided with the necessary heat supply sources, the plant’s communications director, Evgenia Yashina, told RIA Novosti.
Earlier, the Energodar authorities announced the upcoming launch of heat supply in the city. They are trying to disrupt the start of the heating season by attacks by Ukrainian UAVs; one of them damaged a gas pipeline.
“The station does not plan to transfer the units to a “hot shutdown”. The city is provided with the necessary heat supply sources and reserves,” Yashina said.
The “cold shutdown” mode is a safer state of the power unit, the agency’s interlocutor noted. The decision is also due, among other things, to the fact that the city has made additional decisions on heat supply, Yashina said.
All power units of the Zaporozhye NPP were previously transferred to the “cold shutdown” mode; the last one to be transferred from “hot” to “cold shutdown” was power unit No. 4, this happened in April 2024. The “hot stop” mode is necessary to provide heat and hot steam to the needs of the station and the city.
ZNPP is located on the left bank of the Dnieper near the city of Energodar. This is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and installed capacity – the station has six power units with a capacity of 1 gigawatt. In October 2022, the nuclear power plant became the property of the Russian Federation. All power units of the station are currently in “cold shutdown” mode and are not generating electricity.
