Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been reconnected to the only available backup power line four months after the loss, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi said. He added, however, that the site’s electricity situation remains extremely fragile and unsustainable due to the ongoing military conflict.

The nuclear plant’s connection to the remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) power line – of the six such back-up lines before the collision – was cut on March 1 due to damage on the other side of the Dnipro River and restored on the evening of July 1. Work to reconnect the power line had been hampered by the difficult security situation in the southern region.

The reconnection of the 330 kV line is important as the nuclear plant in recent months has relied on a single 750 kV main line for external electricity, needed for reactor cooling and other key nuclear safety functions. It had four lines before the conflict began in February 2022.

The 330 kV line is now energized and kept as a backup and ready to supply power to the nuclear plant if the 750 kV line becomes unavailable or damaged.

During the collision, the nuclear power plant has lost all power, forcing it to temporarily resort to emergency diesel generators for electricity.

“While the reconnection of the backup power line is positive, the plant’s external electrical situation remains extremely vulnerable, underscoring the precarious state of nuclear safety, as well as site security,” said General Manager Grossi.