Zaporizhzhya NPP ZNPP

Zaporizhzhya NPP is located in Energodar, Zaporizhzhya region.

Zaporizhzhya NPP has been under the control of the Russian army since February 28, 2022, Zaporizhzhya NPP transferred to Russian jurisdiction and federal ownership in October 2022.

To operate Zaporizhzhya NPP, Rosenergoatom, the manager of Russian NPPs, established an operator - JSC Zaporizhzhya NPP Operating Organization.

Aktivs

For 2023, the Station consists of 6 power units with reactors VVER-100 a total capacity of about 6,000 MW, making it the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of power units and installed capacity.

2024: Appointment of Vladimir Isaev as CEO

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree appointing Vladislav Isaev as General Director of FSUE Zaporizhzhya NPP. The corresponding document was published on April 1, 2024. It follows from it that Isaev was appointed head of the enterprise for a period of two years. Read more here.

2023: US imposes sanctions on ZPP and demands Rosatom not to use American technology at the station

In February 2023, the US State Department announced the imposition of sanctions against the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

In April 2023, Rosatom confirmed receipt of a letter from the US Department of Energy demanding to abandon the use of American nuclear technologies at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. This was announced on April 20, 2023 by RBC with reference to the press service of Rosatom.

Rosatom said it had informed the Russian Foreign Ministry of its readiness to discuss with the American side issues of interest to them within the framework of existing agreements. The report also emphasizes that the Russian side has always observed and complies with all international obligations in the field of non-proliferation and export control, and at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, in cooperation with the IAEA, ensures the implementation of all rules and norms of nuclear safety and physical protection.

On April 19, 2023, CNN reported that the US Department of Energy warned Rosatom about the presence of nuclear technical information at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant originating from the United States and subject to export control by the country's government. The ministry's letter emphasizes that US law "prohibits unauthorized persons, including Russian citizens and Russian organizations such as Rosatom and its subsidiaries, from accessing, owning, controlling, exporting, storing, confiscating, viewing, re-exporting, sending, transmitting, copying, manipulating such technologies or technical data."

Neither the US Department of Energy nor Rosatom gives any indication of what area the American nuclear technical data located at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant belong to.

"The US claims are formal. In particular, their letters, which they have been sending since last year, mention the settlement programs of Westinghouse, which allegedly remained at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, "said Alexander Uvarov, director of AtomInfo-Center. He notes that there are no revelations in these programs: "Every self-respecting supplier of nuclear technology has this type of program at his disposal. Russia does not need these programs, Rosatom enterprises have their own settlement complexes "sharpened" for the features of our reactor plants. "

It is known that the reactors VVER-1000 the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th power units of the Zaporizhzhya NPP Ukraine transferred to nuclear fuel (NF) from. the AmericanWestinghouse

On April 19, 2023, R. Karchaa, adviser to the head of the Rosenergoatom concern, said that the reserves of American nuclear fuel at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant would last for 4 years.

In October 2022, the head of Rosatom A. Likhachev announced that the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant would be transferred to the Russian nuclear power plant. R. Karchaa explained that Rosenergoatom does not need American fuel, as does American technology. R. Karchaa called Russian technologies the best in the world, adding that other countries share this position.

Westinghouse's nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors has not previously performed well. Several years ago, at the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, fuel elements (TVEL) were depressurized by Westinghouse, after which the country refused the services of this supplier. Later, the Czech Republic was nevertheless forced to receive the Westinghouse nuclear power plant for the Temelin nuclear power plant starting in 2024.

In 2012-2013, at 2 power units of the South Ukrainian NPP, violations were recorded in the operation of American-made fuel assemblies. These breaches were found to have been caused by Westinghouse's design flaws.

In 2022, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was regularly subjected to shelling, in which the Russian and Ukrainian sides accuse each other. At the beginning of 2023, the intensity of strikes decreased, but since the beginning of April 2023, the situation has again become tense.

2022

Shelling of nuclear power plants by the military of Ukraine and the risk of disabling the plant

Shelling of nuclear power plants by Ukraine does not pose a threat to the reactors themselves. The outer shell of the reactor is one and a half meters of steel and concrete. To destroy it, you need to use tactical nuclear weapons. And the reactor cover withstands a 20-ton strike at 200 km/h.

But in August 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit the power transmission lines. In case of disconnection of reactors from consumers, an emergency shutdown will occur - ZPP will not be able to generate electricity.

Stopping the reactor is a matter of 10 seconds. But then it needs to be cooled down for another two or three years: drive water through it so as not to overheat, since the secondary decay of nuclear fuel will occur.

Strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine can lead to an eternal shutdown of the reactor, experts from the Rybar telegram channel noted.

It is enough simply to disrupt the water supply process after the power line is disabled. It will not be possible to cool down the disconnected reactor. There will be a hot metal barrel with air cooling, which cannot be launched back.

There will be no threat of a nuclear catastrophe, but Ukraine is trying to act on the principle with the ZPP "so do not get you to anyone."

There are several radioactive hazardous objects on the territory of the ZNPP.

Dry spent nuclear fuel storage and isotope storage for radiography.

In case of destruction of these objects, depressurization and ingress of radioactive substances of cesium and strontium into the environment can occur. This will cause an increase in the radiation background at the NPP site within a radius of 50-100 meters from radioactive facilities. Being in this zone for a long time will be dangerous.

The station will work, but it will become difficult to maintain it, it will not be possible to be there without radiation protection.

Nuclear power plants will become difficult to protect, since dry storage facilities are located near the perimeter. It will be necessary to somehow isolate the infected soil, this will require special equipment.

Rain runoff collection is organized at the dry storage site, but there is still a possibility of radioactive elements entering the Dnieper through drainage waters.

As a result, water contamination can occur. Water intakes downstream, including in Kherson and Nikolaev, will not be used (but it all depends on concentration).

This is not about nuclear, but about a local environmental catastrophe, which will significantly complicate the use of ZPPs.

Due to constant shelling, ZPP employees and residents of Energodar flee the city in August 2022. Zaporizhzhya NPP is turning into an exclusion zone - only not because of a nuclear catastrophe, but the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The price of this is simple: in the event of emergency stops of ZPP generators and damage to 750kV power lines, the consequences may affect the whole of Ukraine.

Transients in networks can lead to a decrease in the stability of the entire power system and the occurrence of overloads in existing lines. The whole of Ukraine can expect an electricity problem.

NPP passes the code control of the Russian Federation during a special operation in Ukraine

During the special operation of Russia in Ukraine in the spring of 2022, the Zaporizhzhya NPP came under the control of the Russian Federation.

In August 2022, the media circulated a statement by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency of Raphael Grossi that the situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was "out of control."

In this case, several points are not taken into account:

• In an interview with the Associated Press, Grossi called on both Russia and Ukraine to allow IAEA specialists to the station. But before that, it was the representatives of the Ukrainian side who were against the admission of employees of the international organization to the nuclear power plant.

• The IAEA is not engaged in safety control in the field of nuclear power. The agency monitors the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Specifically at the ZPP, IAEA representatives monitored the consumption of nuclear fuel and the storage of spent fuel.

• Grossi pointed to safety problems at the nuclear power plant, but at the same time mentioned the shelling, which involved both sides - both Ukraine and Russia. According to him, the station is located in a place where "active hostilities" are taking place. At the same time, the Ukrainians themselves often boast of striking at the station territory.

2021: IAEA refuses to certify reactors upgraded by Westinghouse

After Westinghouse tried to update the reactors of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant manufactured in Russia for its technology, the IAEA refused to certify the modernized reactors, because Westinghouse did something incomprehensible - and not Russian reactors, but not American reactors either. The agency found that in this form their operation poses a potential danger and threat, since each reactor runs on a special fuel that cannot be changed.

2020

2018

11 thousand employees and generation of 20% of all electricity in Ukraine

As of 2018, Zaporizhzhya NPP generated more than 20% of all electricity in Ukraine. The station employs more than eleven thousand people.

Automatic disconnection of the sixth power unit due to a decrease in water supply

 Power unit No. 6 of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is disconnected from the network due to a decrease in water supply to steam generators, the press service of the ZPP reported on April 8, 2018.

April 8, 2018, at 14 hours 15 minutes, power unit No. 6 of the Zaporizhzhya NPP was disconnected from the power system by automatic protection due to a decrease in the supply of feedwater to the steam generators," the station's press service said.

It is also noted that at this time three power units are operating at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, while all equipment is operating normally.

"The radiation background in the area of ​ ​ the Zaporizhzhya NPP and in the sanitary protection zone (the area around the NPP with a radius of 2.5 km) is 8-12 micro-X-rays per hour, which corresponds to the natural radiation background," the Zaporizhzhya^[1].

At this time, only 4 power units were operating at the Zaporizhzhya NPP : on April 18, 2017, power unit No. 2 was disconnected , on August 20, 2017, power unit No . 1 was decommissioned for repair work.

2017: Disconnection of the 6th and 1st power units

 On April 18, 2017, an automatic shutdown of the sixth power unit worked at the Zaporizhzhya NPP.

 On August 20, 2017, power unit No. 1 was decommissioned for repair work

2016: Start using US Westinghouse fuel

In February 2016, ZPP management began using Westinghouse Electric fuel cells at several power units.

1980s: 5 power units built

Five of the six power units of the nuclear power plant were built in Soviet times, from 1984 to 1989.

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