IAEA’s Grossi urges uninterrupted diesel supply for Zaporizhia NPP generators
18:09, 02.10.2026
2 min read
The Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is considering a further reduction in the number of emergency diesel generators (EDGs) kept in automatic standby as diesel fuel supplies at the site continue to be a concern, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
“The availability of sufficient and reliable emergency electricity generation capacity to supply safety-related equipment is essential for the safety of any nuclear facility. The continued lack of diesel deliveries to the ZNPP is exacerbating an already precarious situation,” his statement was quoted as saying in an agency statement.
“The prompt delivery of fuel to the ZNPP would have a large positive impact on nuclear safety at the ZNPP. I call on all sides to work with the IAEA to achieve this goal,” Grossi added.
According to the agency, diesel fuel reserves at the ZNPP remain low following an extended loss of off-site power in August and September, when the plant relied on EDGs for nearly three weeks. Efforts to replenish the reserves have been hampered by military activity in the area. The ZNPP has experienced 10 such losses since June alone and currently relies on a single off-site power line, the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line.
On 29 September the IAEA team at the ZNPP was informed that planned maintenance of electrical equipment in the 750kV switchyard had been delayed due to the security situation. Maintenance of an EDG was also delayed due to the late arrival of contractors.
On 30 September the IAEA was informed of repair work required at the Zaporizhia Thermal Power Plant to increase the robustness of the power supply to the ZNPP. The IAEA is working with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on a ceasefire that should allow for the maintenance work to be carried out.
The ZNPP is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with six VVER-1000 reactors. The plant has not generated electricity since September 11, 2022. All six ZNPP reactors are in cold shutdown.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
