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'No Immediate Risk' to Nuclear Plant After Ukraine Dam Collapse, Says IAEA Chief

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on June 6 there was “no immediate risk” to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after the breach of the dam at the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in Kherson Oblast.

IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi made the remarks in Vienna.

He outlined a number of uses in the plant of water supplied to it from a reservoir associated with the Nova Kakhovka plant.

“Absence of cooling water in the essential cooling water systems for an extended period of time would cause fuel melt and inoperability of the emergency diesel generators,” Grossi said. “However, our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the plant.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had “internally detonated” the hydro plant shortly before 3 am on Tuesday, putting around 80 settlements in Kherson at risk of flooding.

Russia has blamed Kyiv for the dam’s failure. Credit: Rafael Mariano Grossi via Storyful

Video transcript

RAFAEL GROSSI: Today, the Nova Kakhovka Dam was severely damaged, leading to significant reduction in the level of the reservoir used to supply cooling water to the ZNPP. The cooling water is required for the essential cooling systems, which provide cooling to the follow-- among other to the following-- residual heat removal from the reactors, spent or partially spent fuel there, residual heat removal from the spent fuel ponds, cooling of the emergency diesel generators when they are running.

Absence of cooling water in the essential water systems for an extended period of time would cause fuel melt and inhibit ability of the emergency diesel generators. However, our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the plant. We are following this by the minute, as you can imagine.

The IAEA staff on the site have been informed that the damage to the Nova Kakhovka Dam is currently leading to about 5 centimeters per hour reduction in the height of the reservoir. The team continues to monitor this rate and all other matters on the site. The main line of cooling water is fed from the reservoir and pumped up through channels near the thermal power plant to the site. It is estimated that the water through this route should last for a few days.

The rate may reduce as the water lowers. Water in the reservoir currently at around-- it's at around 16.5 meters. This is a measurement from last night. If it drops below 2.7, then it can no longer be pumped.

[INAUDIBLE] reported that ZNPP is making all efforts to pump as much water into its cooling channels and related systems as possible. In addition, consumer of water is being stopped at ZNPP to reduce, of course, the consumption and then the availability of water for these other essential purposes.

ZNPP Management is discussing further measures to be implemented. And the [INAUDIBLE] team is in active interaction with them. There are a number of alternative sources of water. The main one is the large cooling pond next to the site that, by design, is kept above the height of the reservoir.

As the reactors have been shut down for many months, it is estimated that this pond will be sufficient to provide water for cooling for some months. The agency will confirm this very shortly. It is, therefore, vital that this cooling pond-- this cooling pond remains intact. Nothing must be done to potentially undermine its integrity.

I call on all sides to ensure nothing is done to undermine that. The consequences may be grave. My trip to ZNPP next week was planned. Now, it's essential. I will go.