• 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.

Sources

1. Indian Express