No way to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant at present, IAEA chief says

4/6/2025 6:21

The idled Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine is not in a condition to be restarted at present, due to a lack of water for cooling and the absence of a stable power supply, the head of the UN's nuclear safety watchdog said on Tuesday.



Water would have to be pumped from the Dnipro River for the plant, which has not generated power for nearly three years, to restart, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Reuters.



The facility, located in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region and Europe's largest nuclear plant, was occupied by Russia in March 2022, shortly after it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour. Before the war, the plant generated a fifth of Ukraine's electricity.



Speaking in an interview in Kyiv, Grossi said the Russians had "never hidden the fact" that they want to restart the plant, but added they would not be able to do so soon.