Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

In News

• Recently,  the International Atomic Energy Agency’s  Director has visited the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant .

About

• Zaporizhzhia is an important town in the Ukraine’s southeast that houses the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. 
  • It is about 40 km (25 miles) up the Dnieper River from the nuclear plant

• The Nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia has six reactors, which together produce about 5,700 MW of electricity. Ukraine has four nuclear power stations comprising 15 reactors. Nuclear energy caters to about half of Ukraine’s power demand. 
• Ukraine is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. Each of its nuclear facilities is under IAEA safeguards. That means every bit of nuclear material and fuel, every kilogram of uranium and every gram of plutonium, has to be accounted for and reported.
•  Russian forces attacked the plant in March 2022 and took control of it .IAEA has  a rotating team permanently based at the plant to avoid any nuclear risk.
• IAEA has been working hard  to allow a protection zone around the plant, which is very near the front line of the war.The recent visit comes in this regard.

International Atomic Energy Agency:

• Had originated as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organisation in 1957 within the United Nations family
• It is headquartered in Vienna and reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
• Functions:
  • Works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
  • In 2005, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work for a safe and peaceful world.
  • Seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

Source: TH