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Six-reactor nuclear station now relying on backup diesel generators Rafael Grossi: ‘What are we doing to prevent this happening?’ Courtesy Dean Calma/IAEA. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine lost all offsite power at around 05.00 local time on Thursday (9 March) when its last remaining 750 kilovolt line was disconnected following missile strikes across Ukraine overnight, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed.

The incident led the agency’s director-general Rafael Grossi to tell its board of governors today that he was “astonished” by the complacency. “What are we doing to prevent this happening? We are the IAEA, we are meant to care about nuclear safety,” Grossi said.

The six-unit station’s only remaining back up 330 kilovolt line had already been damaged a few days ago and is under repair.

As a result, all 20 of the site’s emergency diesels generators were activated. The site’s essential power is now being provided by eight of those diesels with the rest now in standby mode. Grossi said there is enough diesel on site for 15 days of operation

The two out of six units that were in hot shutdown are moving to cold shutdown. When a reactor is in cold shutdown, the fuel and control rods can be safely removed and exchanged, and maintenance can be performed. However, once a reactor has gone into a cold shutdown, it requires more time and energy to restart the reaction than if it had been hot.

Date: Friday, 10 March 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/grossi-slams-complacency-as-zaporizhzhia-loses-all-offsite-power-3-4-2023

External power has been restored to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia. The loss of external power, which meant 10 hours spent relying on emergency diesel generators for essential safety functions, followed missile strikes on Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) director general warned that action is needed or "one day our luck will run out".

Date: Friday, 10 March 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Emergency-generators-in-use-as-Zaporizhzhia-loses

Russia plans ‘full control’ as standoff continues over IAEA staff rotation and little progress made on protection zone Russia is pushing ahead with plans to take full control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Petro Kotin said. Courtesy Energoatom. One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is pushing ahead with plans to take full control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and use it for the supply of electricity to occupied territories and Russia, the head of Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom said.

Petro Kotin told the My-Ukraina (“We are Ukraine”) news channel that Russia’s shelling of the station and the area around it since the invasion began in February 2022 is “an act of nuclear terrorism”.

He said Zaporizhzhia – which has six Soviet era reactors and is the largest commercial nuclear facility in Europe – had operated safely for almost 40 years, but since Russia took control “we have had 20 very serious events, including those on the [International Atomic Energy Agency’s] emergency scale”.

Kotin said Russia had seized the nuclear station and all the infrastructure used to detect and respond to possible nuclear radiation incidents.

“They are all seized, all this infrastructure is broken,” he said. Kotin added that staff are being pressured to sign a contract to work for Russia’s Rosenergoatom, the nuclear plant operations subsidiary of Atomenergoprom, itself a subsidiary of state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Date: Saturday, 25 February 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/no-end-in-sight-to-crisis-at-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-station-2-5-2023

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency will do all it can to ensure nuclear safety, as it publishes a report covering the events of the past year.

Date: Saturday, 25 February 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-s-Grossi-to-continue-Zaporizhzhia-safety-zone

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has appealed for constructive efforts by all involved parties to facilitate this month’s already delayed rotation of experts to and from Ukraine’s Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP). Grossi stressed the vital importance of the continued presence of the IAEA Support & Assistance Mission to Zaporizhia (ISAMZ) at Europe’s largest NPP.

Date: Friday, 24 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiaea-monitoring-mission-blocked-from-zaporizhia-npp-10619773

There have been no reports of damage to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant after two large earthquakes struck Turkey. But safety checks are continuing at the plant, which is currently under construction.

Date: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/No-damage-reported-at-Akkuyu-site-after-Turkey-e

‘No technical arguments’ for shutting down nuclear plants after 40 years Unit 2 at the Tihange nuclear power station in Belgium is scheduled for permanent shutdown this week. Courtesy Electrabel. Belgium should repeal its 2003 nuclear exit law as it looks for ways to deal with the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and resulting gas and electricity price increases, the Brussels-based Belgian Nuclear Forum said.

The underlying argument of the 2003 law is that a nuclear plant is obsolete after 40 years and should be decommissioned, the forum said.

“Nothing could be further from the truth: there are no technical arguments for definitively shutting down a nuclear power plant after 40 years of operation, but only political arguments,” it added.

The forum issued the statement as owner and operater Engie Electrabel prepares to permanently shut down the Tinhange-2 nuclear power plant on 31 January. The 1,008-MW pressurised water reactor unt began commercial operation on 1 June 1983 and has been online for 40 years.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the last couple of decades have witnessed increased interest in the extension of the operating life of nuclear power plants. Extending the life of a plant is more economical than building a new one, and where it makes business sense. The agency says about 90% of US plants have already renewed their licences to extend their operation to 60 years, with additional extensions for a total of 80 years being considered. In Europe, plants are regularly seeking lifetimes of 60 years.

Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/as-tihange-2-approaches-closure-industry-group-calls-for-repeal-of-2003-nuclear-exit-law-1-1-2023

While many agree the benefits of using nuclear energy to fight climate change and build energy security are clear, there is still a major hurdle to overcome before it is widely accepted as a safe and clean part of the energy mix: the perception that the nuclear industry has a waste "problem", writes Laurie Swami, president and CEO of Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO).

Date: Friday, 20 January 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Viewpoint-It-s-time-to-let-the-world-know-we-can-s

Italy is a steadfast partner in the challenges facing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today with a long history of achievements in the nuclear field, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi commented, as he travelled to Rome. During his two-day visit, Grossi met with Italy’s President and Foreign Minister, as well as with Pope Francis. Discussions covered a variety of issues including nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, nuclear non-proliferation, and the role of nuclear science and technology in combating climate change.

Date: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsgrossi-holds-talks-with-italian-leaders-and-pope-francis-10523617

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said there had been progress on a safety zone at Zaporizhzhia, but added that the "negotiating table has got bigger", with military officials involved. He gave the update in an interview after an audience with Pope Francis in which the two spoke about the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, as well as non-proliferation.

Date: Saturday, 14 January 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-s-Grossi-and-the-Pope-discuss-nuclear-issues