Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
- Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and also among the 10 largest in the world.
- It is located in southeastern Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia city.
- It was built by the Soviet Union near the city of Enerhodar, on the southern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper river.
- It is operated by Energoatom, which also operates Ukraine’s other three nuclear power stations.
Significance of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
- Ukraine has four nuclear power stations comprising 15 reactors.
- The plant at Zaporizhzhia has six reactors, which can together produce about 5,700 MW of electricity.
- Nuclear energy caters to about half of Ukraine’s power demand.
Safety of reactors
- Modern nuclear reactors are built to withstand considerable shock and impact.
- They have several layers of reinforced steel and concrete, and also elaborate fire security systems.
- Most of these reactors can survive earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher.
- They are also designed to shut down automatically when they sense major natural hazards.
Latest News
- The global attention on the war in Ukraine has remained nervously focused on Zaporizhzhia, an important town in the country’s southeast that houses the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
- A team of officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the plant.
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