The Chernobyl plant in Ukraine is disconnected from the grid due to damage inflicted by Russian occupying forces, sparking concerns of radioactive contamination if the cooling of spent nuclear fuel stops.
The 750 kV Chernobyl-Kyiv high-voltage line is currently disconnected “due to damage by the occupiers,” Energoatom, or the state-run National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine, said Wednesday. The Chernobyl station and all nuclear facilities of the Exclusion Zone are without electricity.
The regulator explained that there are about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies stored at the facility that require constant cooling. Without electricity to cool the pumps, the temperature in the holding pools will increase, prompting the release of radioactive substances into the environment.
National nuclear energy company Ukrenergo said the plant, now captured by Russian forces, is in total blackout with no power supply. The lack of power at Chernobyl risks is also sending radioactive substances into the air. Ukrenergo added: “Because of the military actions of the Russian occupiers, the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl was fully disconnected from the power grid.
“The nuclear station has no power supply. “The military actions are in progress, so there is no possibility to restore the lines. Slavutich city is also out of power supply.” Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company Energoatom said radioactive substances could be released from the plant because it cannot cool spent nuclear fuel after its power connection was severed. Work to repair the connection and restore power to the plant has been impossible due to ongoing fighting.
