Kremlin plans to restart Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – WSJ

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the Kremlin plans to restart the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) occupied by Russia. This significantly increases the risks of an incident at Europe's largest nuclear power station.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Details: The IAEA in Vienna received technical reports from a small group of inspectors it dispatched to the station, indicating that Russia aims to restart the ZNPP as early as this year.

European diplomats familiar with the issue noted that Russia's goal appears to be to bring at least one reactor back into operation. One diplomat said Russia could do this by the 40th anniversary of the station's connection to the Soviet Union power grid in December.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited the Russian resort of Sochi for a meeting with Putin and the head of the Russian atomic energy company Rosatom in March. Grossi asked whether the station would be restarted as people familiar with the discussions claimed. Putin said it would definitely happen, but Russian officials did not disclose plans or timelines.

The Wall Street Journal believes restarting the ZNPP's reactor will pose a technical challenge and serve as a symbolic milestone for Russia, "normalising" the station's seizure, providing about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity until 2022.

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