World · Europe · 3 hrs ago
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power and switches to diesel generators
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine lost its external power supply on Sunday after its remaining connected line, Ferosplavna-1, disconnected.
The Russian-controlled plant does not generate electricity now, but needs power to keep its nuclear fuel cool and support other safety systems.
Emergency diesel generators are supplying the power needed for safety, the plant's management and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
The plant's management said an automatic protection system shut down the line because of damage, while the IAEA said the cause and location of the disconnection were not yet known.
Fuel reserves could run the generators for about two weeks, the IAEA said.
The loss is the 27th such event during the conflict, according to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, and highlights ongoing nuclear safety concerns.
The IAEA is urging power-grid reconnection and more fuel reserves, but the sources give no timeline for restoring the line.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost its last available external power connection on Sunday, November 8, and switched to emergency diesel generators.
The IAEA said the plant had lost connection to its remaining external line, Ferosplavnaya-1, early Sunday.
The IAEA said fuel reserves could run a limited number of emergency generators for around two weeks.
The cause and location of the disconnection were not yet known to the IAEA; a report attributed the outage to damage, while plant management said automatic protection shut the line down.
Plant management said radiation levels at the site and in the surveillance zone were normal.
- Who
- The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- What
- The plant lost its external power supply and began relying on emergency diesel generators.
- When
- Sunday, November 8, 2026; the IAEA said the disconnection occurred early that morning.
- Where
- Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
- Why
- The Ferosplavna power line disconnected. The IAEA said the cause and location were not yet known; plant management said automatic protection shut the line down.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The plant had been without external power since this date, according to The Hindu and The Moscow Times.
A local ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect to allow repairs to restore external power.
The IAEA said the main Dniprovska power line remained unavailable.
The plant lost connection to the Ferosplavna-1 line and switched to emergency diesel generators.
- Plant
- Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine
- Disconnected line
- Ferosplavna-1
- Backup power
- Emergency diesel generators
- Fuel reserves
- Enough for a limited number of generators to run for around two weeks
- Outage count
- The 27th such event during the conflict, according to Rafael Grossi
5 sources
IAEA informed about external power loss at Zaporozhye NPP
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant relying on generators again after losing external power supply
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power supply, Russian-installed management says
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Relying on Generators Again After Losing Internal Power Supply
What people are saying
It is the 27th such event during the conflict, underlining the continued precarious nuclear safety situation
The cause and location of the latest disconnection are not yet known
Staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are monitoring all operational parameters of the equipment. All necessary measures to maintain the safe condition of the power units are being taken in full