Damaged power lines at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant have knocked the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster off the power grid.
The cause of the damage was unclear, but it comes amid an ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine.
The Chernobyl facility is equipped with backup diesel generators, which are now supplying power, the Associated Press reported.
The ongoing loss of grid power was described as a “serious matter” but did not pose a public threat, according to a news release from the American Nuclear Society.
“The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the blackout has ‘no critical impact on safety’ from storing solid spent fuel at Chernobyl,” the ANS news release stated.
Officials do not expect a public safety issue even if there is no power at the facility.
“The heat load of spent fuel storage pool and volume of cooling water is sufficient for effective heat removal without need for electrical supply,” the ANS stated.
Chernobyl’s spent fuel has cooled down after more than 30 years in storage and cannot meltdown at this point, according to officials.
The power plant has been in the process of decommissioning for three decades and three of its four reactors ceased operations in the 90s.
The fourth reactor, which suffered a meltdown in 1986, is now encased in concrete and covered with a protective steel shield.
The ANS said it is concerned about ventilation at the site as people have continued to work and live there since the start of Russian military occupation on Feb. 24.
“Power, communications, and monitoring by the IAEA must be restored to Chernobyl at once,” the ANS stated.
