All power units of the Zaporozhye NPP have been transferred to the “cold shutdown” state

On Saturday morning, the reactor installation of power unit No. 4 of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, was transferred to a “cold shutdown” state.

How reports Rosatom, now all six power units of the Zaporozhye NPP are in the “cold shutdown” state – this is a safe state of the reactor when it is shut down at low pressure and low temperature of the cooling water. The state corporation stated that the background radiation is within natural values.

The day before, The Wall Street Journal reported, that Russian President Vladimir Putin notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of plans to restart the Zaporizhia NPP. European diplomats told the publication that Russia’s goal appears to be the return to operation of at least one reactor. According to WSJ’s interlocutor, Russia can do this by the 40th anniversary of the station’s connection to the Soviet Union’s power grid in December 1984.

• On April 7, the Zaporizhia NPP was attacked by drones, as a result of which the building of the sixth power unit was damaged, but nuclear safety was not violated. The IAEA called the attack “a serious incident that could undermine the integrity of the reactor containment system.” International experts did not name those responsible for the strikes.
• Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Its territory is periodically subjected to shelling, for which Ukraine and Russia blame each other. Ukrainian authorities also stated that the Russian army used the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant to store military equipment and station its troops.
• The station has not generated electricity since September 11, 2022.