By Tendai Guvamombe
Is the World Is Holding Its Breath Over Zaporizhzhia
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine is more than just Europe’s largest atomic facility; it is a live wire threatening the safety of the entire continent.
Since its occupation by Russian forces in March 2022, the plant has transitioned from a vital power source to a major global safety crisis, earning it the grim title of ‘Europe’s Nuclear Hostage.’
From Powerhouse to Peril
With a colossal installed capacity of 5,700 MW from its six VVER-1000 reactors, ZNPP once provided about one-fifth of Ukraine’s electricity, enough for an estimated 4 million homes.
Since September 2022, however, all six units have been placed into “cold shutdown.”
This deactivation does not mean the danger has passed. The reactors and their storage pools, holding over 9,000 spent-fuel assemblies, still generate significant residual heat.
This requires continuous cooling—a function that demands a reliable source of electricity. The war has repeatedly severed the external power lines, forcing the plant to rely precariously on backup emergency diesel generators—a fragile last line of defence against a catastrophic meltdown.
The Battle for Water and Safety
A major crisis unfolded in June 2023 when the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam drained the plant’s primary cooling source, the vast reservoir.
The ZNPP staff were forced to rely on a large, but finite, cooling pond and urgently drill new groundwater wells to ensure a minimal, sufficient water supply.
The ZNPP’s plight—a massive, complex nuclear facility under active military occupation—is unique globally. This unprecedented situation makes it the constant focus of international attention and intense monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The world watches, knowing that a misstep or attack could transform this regional conflict into an environmental and humanitarian disaster of continental scale.
