Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost its last operating external power line at 02:36 Kyiv time (UTC+2) on Nov. 8, leaving backup diesel generators to supply power for the facility’s own needs, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said. The 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna-1 line disconnected, and an automatic attempt to reconnect it failed. Energoatom counted the incident as the plant’s 16th complete loss of external power in 2026.
Reuters and the Associated Press reported that the plant’s Russian-installed management said an automatic protection system disconnected the damaged line and that backup generators were supplying power. Reuters reported that the IAEA said the cause and location of the disconnection were not yet known. Plant management also said radiation levels at the site and in its monitoring zone were normal; the cited reports did not include an independent reading.
The outage again exposes the plant’s reliance on a single grid connection. The IAEA said on Oct. 23 that Ferosplavna-1 was the site’s only remaining external power line, while the main 750-kilovolt Dniprovska line was unavailable amid reported severe damage. The agency said it was working with Russia and Ukraine to explore repair options for Dniprovska.
Diesel availability was already a concern. In a Nov. 6 statement, the IAEA said it had not been informed of diesel deliveries to the site since March 2026 and that fuel continued to be consumed, though at a lower rate than usual. Reuters reported that an IAEA post on X said available reserves could run a limited number of emergency generators for about two weeks.
The plant is under Russian control and is not generating electricity, but still needs power for cooling systems, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Nov. 6: “A reliable external power supply is essential for nuclear safety.”
