For the first time in the history of the existence of the Zaporozhye NPP, the station was completely disconnected from the power grid. “Today, August 25, 2022, due to fires at the ash dumps of the Zaporizhzhya TPP, located next to the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the last (fourth) communication line of the Zaporozhye NPP with the energy system of Ukraine, the 750 kV overhead line of the Zaporozhye NPP – Dneprovskaya, was disconnected twice,” reports “ Energoatom".
Since three other communication lines were previously damaged during shelling, two operating power units were de-energized. As The Energy Insider reported , a sudden disconnection of the ZNPP from power transmission lines could lead to a meltdown of the reactor if backup power is not connected. Now the internal needs of the station are provided by the ZNPP-Zaporozhskaya TPP line.
According to nuclear physicist Andrey Ozharovsky, the Russian authorities can use the shutdown of the station as an excuse to connect it to the Crimea. But this will require the restoration of power lines towards the Crimea and Russia and the synchronization of generators with the Russian power system.
“Now the Ukrainian energy system is out of sync with the Russian one. We have alternating current, and all generators of a particular power system must work synchronously. This does not mean that the system is completely cut off, it means that a direct flow of energy capacities is impossible, so-called direct-flow inserts are required. This is a huge and expensive thing, which, as I understand it, is not now, because before, both power systems of both countries worked together. These things are just not built. In addition, the lines can be easily destroyed as a result of sabotage. In 2015, such a sabotage was successful: in November, power transmission towers on the Ukrainian side, through which electricity was supplied to Crimea, were blown up. After that, the peninsula was minimally powered, a blackout with rolling blackouts every two hours lasted a month, Crimea was finally powered after the completion of the construction of two large thermal power plants and an energy bridge from Russia.
