Putin Informs IAEA of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Restart Plan

WSJ Reports Citing Multiple Sources
Revealed During IAEA Secretary-General's Visit to Russia Last Month
Safety Concerns Expected to Rise Due to Surrounding Military Activities

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of plans to restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe located in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

On the 12th (local time), the US Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, reported that Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, asked President Putin whether he would restart the Zaporizhzhia plant during his visit last month to Sochi, a resort city in southern Russia, where he met with Putin and the head of Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom. President Putin reportedly responded, "Definitely, we will." However, no specific date for the plant's restart has been disclosed.

The Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian military control since March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Before the conflict, the plant produced about one-fifth of Ukraine's electricity. Of the six reactors at Zaporizhzhia, five are currently in a state known as "cold shutdown," meaning the temperature inside the reactors has dropped below 100 degrees Celsius.

If the Zaporizhzhia plant is restarted, safety concerns due to surrounding military activities are expected to intensify. Recently, the plant was subjected to drone attacks for three consecutive days. Russia has blamed Ukrainian forces, referring to the incidents as "nuclear terrorism," but Ukraine denies these claims.

Last week, Director General Grossi warned, "Rolling the dice is not the right way when it comes to nuclear safety." The WSJ predicted that restarting the plant under these circumstances would introduce new risks to an already serious safety crisis.

There are also doubts about whether Russia possesses the technical capability to restart the plant. To bring a reactor out of cold shutdown, the core temperature must be raised to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and inspections must be conducted to ensure there are no leaks in the complex network of pipes, pumps, and valves.

Equipment such as diesel generators for backup power, spare parts for pumps and turbines are also necessary, and it is uncertain whether Russia can deliver these to the Zaporizhzhia plant during wartime. The WSJ assessed that Russia would need several technicians proficient in Western nuclear systems and US nuclear fuel knowledge to carry out such tasks. Previously, the US Department of Energy revealed that only one person currently works in the control room of the Zaporizhzhia plant.