Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor in an attempt to avoid a radiation disaster as fighting rages in the area.
The six-reactor Zaporizhzhia plant lost its outside source of power a week ago after all its power lines were disconnected as a result of shelling. It was operating in “island mode” for several days, generating electricity for crucial cooling systems from its only remaining operational reactor.
Nuclear operator Energoatom said one of those power lines was restored “to its operational capacity” late Saturday, making it possible to run the plant’s safety and other systems on electricity from the power system of Ukraine.
