Repairs are being conducted on one of the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) following the discovery of a small water leak from the impulse line, which is part of the reactor cooling pump support system.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
To carry out the repairs, the pressure in the primary circuit had to be reduced to atmospheric level. Today, the team was informed about the completion of the welding work and the conducting of radiographic inspections of the weld seams.
Quote: “The Agency will continue to follow this issue closely, although we don’t see any immediate issue for nuclear safety. In general, we have identified regular equipment maintenance – which is vital to ensure sustainable nuclear safety and security – as a challenging area for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during the conflict [Russia’s war against Ukraine – ed.],” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
Like the other five reactors at the ZNPP, Unit 1 was in a cold shutdown state, not generating electricity for the grid, until this week when it was switched to a shutdown mode for maintenance. It is expected that after the completion of repairs and testing of the impulse line, Unit 1 will return to cold shutdown.
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