Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant:
Plant Overview:
* Reactors: Six Soviet-designed reactors,built in the 1980s (with one coming online in the mid-1990s).
* Capacity: 5.7 gigawatts.
* Fuel: four reactors now use fuel from Westinghouse (US supplier) instead of Russian fuel.
current Status (as of the text):
* Shutdown: Five reactors were shut down after Russia took control. The last reactor stopped producing electricity in September 2022.
* Cold Shutdown: Russian management claims all six reactors are in “cold shutdown.”
* Power Supply: The plant relies on electricity from Ukraine, which has been interrupted at least eleven times in the past four years, requiring use of emergency diesel generators.
* Restarting: Russia is preparing to restart the station, but it depends on the security situation. They haven’t ruled out supplying electricity produced there to parts of Ukraine.
* License: Russia issued a license in December 2025 to operate reactor No. 1, a step towards restarting it.Ukraine considers this illegal.
Concerns & Conflicts:
* Accusations: Both russia and Ukraine accuse each other of attacking the plant and damaging power lines.
* Safety: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warns that fighting near the plant jeopardizes nuclear safety and security.
* Motives: Ukraine believes Russia wants to use the plant to address an energy deficit in southern Russia.
* Infrastructure Attacks: Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing blackouts.
