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Two nuclear power plants in Ukraine – Chernobyl and Europe's largest plant, Zaporizhzhia – are no longer transmitting data to the UN's atomic watchdog, according to an announcement from the agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday, March 9, that it had lost contact with the active nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia, stating it’s no longer receiving remote data transmissions from safeguards systems installed to monitor nuclear material.
A similar situation has been reported at Chernobyl, the site of the 1986 disaster, also longer connected to the power grid to the concern of some analysts. Electricity is still needed at the Chernobyl site to power cooling pools used to hold radioactive fuel rods. No cooling, in theory, could cause the spent nuclear fuel to overheat.
The IAEA assured Chernobyl's disconnection from the grid "would not have a critical impact on essential safety functions at the site," although it noted that this situation will add further stress to the employees of the plant and "likely to lead to a further deterioration of operational radiation safety at the site."
Zaporizhzhya is in slightly better standing, still being powered through a number of high voltage offsite power lines. It also has additional offsite power lines and diesel engines as a backup.
Nevertheless, the loss of communication with both nuclear power plants is still worrying as it leaves international nuclear authorities in the dark about crucial safety data. Considering there’s a war currently raging in the vicinity of both plants, this information is much needed.
“The remote transmission of data from IAEA safeguards equipment located at nuclear sites around the world is an important component of our safeguards implementation, in Ukraine and globally,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, said in a press release. “Such systems are installed in several facilities in Ukraine, including all nuclear power plants, and enable us to monitor nuclear material and activities at these sites when our inspectors are not present.”
Both nuclear power plants have recently fallen into the hands of invading Russian troops but the reason for the disruption in the transmission was not immediately clear. The IAEA said it continues to receive such data from other nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was taken in the opening days of the Russian invasion on February 24, while Russian forces captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on March 4, following a fire that broke out at the facility during the shelling.
Nuclear experts are concerned about Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl, but warn that both situations should not be overblown and the risk of a nuclear accident is currently low.
Commenting on the ongoing situation in Chernobyl, Tony Roulstone from the Department of Engineering at University of Cambridge stated: “It is not as worrying as Fukushima because the Chernobyl reactors have already been shut down for a long time and the decay heat will be very much reduced. Nevertheless, it is an unhealthy situation for both for staff at the site and the surrounding area.”
