Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station (Ukrainian: Запорізька АЕС) in Enerhodar, Ukraine, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the top 10 largest in the world.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station
The six units of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The Zaporizhzhia coal power plant is also visible to the left (from Nikopol coast).
Official nameЗапорізька АЕС
CountryUkraine
LocationEnerhodar
Coordinates47°30′44″N 34°35′09″E
StatusOperational
Construction beganUnit 1: April 1, 1980
Unit 2: January 1, 1981
Unit 3: April 1, 1982
Unit 4: April 1, 1983
Unit 5: November 1, 1985
Unit 6: June 1, 1986
Commission dateUnit 1: December 25, 1985
Unit 2: February 15, 1986
Unit 3: March 5, 1987
Unit 4: April 14, 1988
Unit 5: October 27, 1989
Unit 6: September 17, 1996
Owner(s)Energoatom
Operator(s)Energoatom
Nuclear power station
Reactor typePWR
Reactor supplierAtomstroyexport
Cooling sourceKakhovka Reservoir
Thermal capacity6 × 3000 MWth
Power generation
Units operational6 × 950 MW
Make and model6 × VVER-1000/320
Nameplate capacity5700 MW
Capacity factor58.68%
Annual net output29,299 GW·h (2016)
External links
Websitewww.npp.zp.ua
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Overview

The plant is located in Southeastern Ukraine near the city of Enerhodar, on the banks of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper river. It has 6 VVER-1000 pressurized light water nuclear reactors, each generating 950 MWe, for a total power output of 5,700 MWe.[1] The first five were successively brought online between 1985 and 1989, and the sixth was added in 1995. The plant generates nearly half of the country's electricity derived from nuclear power,[2] and more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine.[3] The Zaporizhzhia coal power station is also located nearby.

In 2017 modernization work was completed on unit 3, enabling a 10 year life-extension to 2027.[2] In 2021 modernization work was completed on unit 5, enabling a 10 year life-extension.[4]

2014 unrest
Main articles: 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and War in Donbass

In May 2014, 40 armed members claiming to be representatives of Right Sector allegedly tried to gain access to the power plant area.[5] The men were stopped by the Ukrainian police before entering into Enerhodar. The real intentions of the armed members are unclear as the Right Sector claimed they had, "no plans to storm the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant."[6]

The Zaporizhzhia power plant is located around 200 km away from the War in Donbass combat zone, where fighting has become very severe in 2014. On 31 August 2014, a Greenpeace member, Tobias Münchmeyer, expressed concerns the plant could be hit by heavy artillery from the fighting.[7]

Incidents

2014 Incident

On 3 December 2014, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk announced the occurrence of an incident several days before at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[8] The cause of the incident was reported as a short circuit in the power outlet system and was not linked to the site's production.[9] One of the six reactors of the plant was shut down twice in December 2014.[10] This and lack of coal for Ukraine's coal-fired power stations lead to rolling blackouts throughout the country from early till late December 2014.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Nuclear Power Plants in Lithuania & Ukraine". Industcards.com.
  2. "Zaporozhe 3 enters next 10 years of operation". World Nuclear News. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  3. "SS "Zaporizhzhia NPP"". www.energoatom.com.ua.
  4. "Energoatom marks life extension of Ukraine's Zaporozhye 5". Nuclear Engineering International. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  5. "Новини Укрінформ". www.ukrinform.ua.
  6. "Gunmen attempt to enter Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant".
  7. "Ukrainian nuclear plant vulnerable to Kiev's artillery strikes – Greenpeace expert". Nucpros.com.
  8. "Ukraine Reports Accident At Nuclear Power Plant, But Says Poses No Danger". Huffington Post. 3 December 2014.
  9. "Ukraine energy minister says 'no threat' from accident at nuclear plant". Reuters. 3 December 2014.
  10. Ukraine turns off reactor at its most powerful nuclear plant after 'accident', The Independent (28 December 2014)
    Ukraine Briefly Cuts Power to Crimea Amid Feud With Russia Over NATO, New York Times (DEC. 24, 2014)
    Coal import to help avoid rolling blackouts in Ukraine — energy minister Archived January 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, ITAR-TASS (December 31, 2014)
    Rolling blackouts in Ukraine after nuclear plant accident, br>Mashable (Dec 03, 2014)
    Ukraine to Import Coal From ‘Far Away’ as War Curtails Mines, Bloomberg News (Dec 31, 2014)
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