Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station () in southeastern Ukraine is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world. 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, who also operate Ukraine's other three nuclear power stations. The plant has 6 VVER-1000 pressurized light water nuclear reactors (PWR), each fuelled with U (LEU) and generating 950 MW, for a total power output of 5,700 MW. The first five were successively  brought online between 1985 and 1989, and the sixth was added in 1995. The plant generates nearly half of the country's electricity derived from nuclear power, and more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine. The Zaporizhzhia thermal power station is nearby. On 4 March 2022, both plants were captured by Russian forces during the Battle of Enerhodar of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The plant is reportedly now controlled by the Russian company Rosatom. Operational status. In 2017 modernization work was completed on unit 3, enabling a 10 year life-extension to 2027. In 2021  modernization work was completed on unit 5, enabling a 10 year life-extension. 2014 unrest. In May 2014, 40 armed members claiming to be representatives of Right Sector allegedly tried to gain access to the power plant area. The men were stopped by the Ukrainian police before entering into Enerhodar. The Zaporizhzhia power plant is located around 200 km away from the War in Donbas combat zone, where fighting became very severe in 2014. On 31 August 2014, a Greenpeace member, Tobias Münchmeyer, expressed concerns the plant could be hit by heavy artillery from the fighting. Incidents. 2014 incident. On  3 December 2014, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk announced the occurrence of an incident several days before at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The cause of the incident was reported as a short circuit in the power outlet system and was not linked to the site's production. One of the six reactors of the plant was shut down twice in December 2014. This and lack of coal for Ukraine's coal-fired power stations led to rolling blackouts throughout the country from early until late December 2014. 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on  24 February 2022, Energoatom shut down Units 5 and 6 to reduce risk, keeping Units 1 to 4 in operation on 25 February 2022. At 11:28pm local time on the 3 March 2022, a column of 10 Russian armored vehicles and two tanks approached the power plant. The action commenced at 12:48am on 4 March when Ukraine forces fired anti-tank missiles and Russian forces responded with a variety of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades. During approximately two hours of heavy fighting, a fire broke out in a training facility outside of the main complex, which was extinguished by 6:20am , though other sections surrounding the plant sustained damage. As of 04:20 UTC on March 4, the IAEA said that the fire, which was in a training building, had been extinguished. It did not impact reactor safety or any essential equipment. The plant lost 1.3 GW of capacity which then was compensated by additional 9 power units in the thermal power station nearby. "Ukrayinska Pravda" reported on March 12 that the plant's management was told by Russian authorities that the plant now belonged to Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear power company.