Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been left without external power / Diesel generators maintain reactor cooling

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, was left without an external electricity connection on Sunday after the Ferrosplavnaya backup line was damaged in a new attack on the power grid, according to the plant’s administration, cited by EFE.

The facility is now being powered by auxiliary diesel generators, which are cooling the six reactors and the spent fuel pools. The plant’s administration says staff are taking measures to keep the generators running and that radiation levels are within normal limits.

The plant received power through two lines located in territory controlled by Ukraine, on the right bank of the Dnipro River. The main line, Dnieprovskaya, was disconnected in March following an attack, and a truce for repairs was agreed in June. In September, Russia and Ukraine accepted a new truce for the same purpose, but power supplies were not restored.

The IAEA warned that the facility could run out of power within a few days if its diesel reserves are depleted. Although the reactors are technically shut down and the plant no longer generates electricity, their cooling, as well as that of the spent fuel, requires a constant power supply.