IAEA Warns of Fuel Shortages and Heightened Risks at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine is considering reducing the number of emergency diesel generators kept on automatic standby due to ongoing diesel fuel shortages, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reported.

According to the IAEA, diesel fuel reserves at the ZNPP remain low after the plant experienced an extended loss of off-site power across August and September, during which it relied on emergency diesel generators (EDGs) for nearly three weeks. The agency noted that military activity in the area has hindered efforts to replenish the plant's fuel supplies.

EDGs serve as backup power sources to maintain essential safety systems when external electricity is cut. The ZNPP has experienced 10 losses of off-site power since June and currently relies on a single external connection, the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line. Director General Grossi stated that reliable emergency generation capacity is vital for nuclear safety and urged all parties to facilitate fuel deliveries.

The agency was informed on 29 September that scheduled maintenance on electrical equipment in the 750kV switchyard was postponed due to the security situation, while maintenance on an EDG was delayed because contractors arrived late. On 30 September, the IAEA was notified of required repair work at the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant to bolster power reliability. The IAEA stated it is engaging with both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to establish a ceasefire that would allow these repairs to proceed.

IAEA staff stationed at the ZNPP reported hearing military activity daily over the past week, frequently in close proximity to the facility.

Security concerns were also highlighted at other nuclear sites across Ukraine. On 30 September, the IAEA was informed of a drone strike near the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv. The strike occurred approximately 100 metres from a building containing a research reactor and spent nuclear fuel; no release of radioactive material occurred.

Additionally, Ukrainian nuclear facilities reported significant drone presence and air raid alerts over the past week. The Chornobyl site detected 83 drones, the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant reported 27, and the Khmelnytskyy Nuclear Power Plant detected two. A total of 157 air raid alerts were recorded across all monitored sites, prompting IAEA personnel at the Rivne and Khmelnytskyy plants to seek shelter multiple times. Grossi renewed his call for maximum military restraint near all nuclear installations.

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