Zaporizhzhia power-line repairs get a local ceasefire
A local ceasefire took effect Saturday to allow repairs to the damaged line supplying external electricity to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukrainian technicians would work after demining. The plant has relied on diesel generators since August 20; the agency warned of a possible blackout within days unless external power returns or more fuel arrives.
Geopolitics··Morning
Demining comes before repair
A local ceasefire began Saturday to permit repairs to the damaged Ferosplavna electricity line serving Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukrainian technicians would undertake the work under the agreement it brokered. The area must first be cleared of mines before repairs can begin. Agency chief Rafael Grossi said an agency team would monitor the work while the truce remains in effect. This is the seventh local ceasefire secured by the agency.[1], [2]
Cooling systems depend on diesel generators
The plant lost its last external electricity connection, the 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna-1 line, on August 20. Emergency diesel generators have supplied power since then. They provide the electricity needed to cool the six reactors and the pools holding spent nuclear fuel. With diesel stocks running low, the agency warned that a complete loss of power could occur within days unless external electricity is restored or additional fuel reaches the site.[1], [2]
About a week’s pause around the Russian-controlled plant
Russian forces seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in 2022, during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine. The facility in southeastern Ukraine remains under Russian control. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said he expected the local ceasefire that began Saturday morning to last about a week. He also said repairing the Ferosplavna line would not necessarily guarantee the restoration of external electricity. Ukraine had not publicly commented on the ceasefire or Likhachev’s remarks when the report was published.[1]
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