Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station (Ukrainian: Запорізька атомна електростанція, romanized: Zaporiz'ka atomna elektrostantsiia) in southeastern Ukraine is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world. It has been under Russian control since 2022. It was built by the Soviet Union near the city of Enerhodar, on the southern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper river. It is operated by Energoatom, who operate Ukraine's other three nuclear power stations.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station
Запорізька атомна електростанція
Shutdown
Unit 1: 1 April 1980
Unit 2: 1 January 1981
Unit 3: 1 April 1982
Unit 4: 1 April 1983
Unit 5: 1 November 1985
Unit 6: 1 June 1986
Unit 1: 25 December 1985
Unit 2: 15 February 1986
Unit 3: 5 March 1987
Unit 4: 14 April 1988
Unit 5: 27 October 1989
Unit 6: 17 September 1996
Energoatom (De jure)
Rosatom (De facto)
6
2
6 × 3000 MWth
5700 MW
58.68%
- 29,299 GWh (2016)
- 38,000 GWh
The plant has six VVER-1000 pressurized light water nuclear reactors (PWR), each fuelled with 235U (LEU)[1] and generating 950 MWe, for a total power output of 5,700 MWe.[2] The first five were successively brought online between 1985 and 1989, and the sixth was added in 1995. In 2020, the plant generated nearly half of the country's electricity derived from nuclear power,[3] and more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine.[4] The Zaporizhzhia thermal power station is nearby.
On 4 March 2022, days into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces seized both the nuclear and thermal power stations.[5][6][7][8] As of 12 March 2022 the Russian company Rosatom claimed control over the plant.[9] Since its capture, the plant does not generate power and is mostly shut down.[10]
Incidents[edit]
1984 electrical fire[edit]
On 27 January 1984, a major fire started during commissioning of unit 1, before any nuclear fuel was in the reactor. An electrical relay caused PVC insulation to catch fire, molten PVC causing more fires below in a vertical shaft. More than 4,000 control units, 41 motors, and 700 km of cables were damaged.[18]
