--- title: "IAEA: Zaporizhzhia NPP Has Been Running on Diesel Generators for Over a Week; Fuel Reserves Last Only 10 Days" description: "The IAEA reported that the Zaporizhzhia NPP has been running only on emergency diesel generators for over a week after losing its last external 330 kV line. Fuel reserves will last approximately 10 days." date: 2026-08-29T18:38:06.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zaporizhzhia-npp-running-on-diesel-generators-iaea-blackout-risk tags: [zaporizhzhia-npp, iaea, nuclear-safety, blackout, russia-ukraine, energy-crisis] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # IAEA: Zaporizhzhia NPP Has Been Running on Diesel Generators for Over a Week; Fuel Reserves Last Only 10 Days ![Armed soldier in front of a Zaporizhzhia NPP unit as IAEA reports the plant running on diesel generators](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/29/zaes-rabotaet-na-dizel-generatorah-ugroza-blekauta-magat/zaes-rabotaet-na-dizel-generatorah-ugroza-blekauta-magat-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The Zaporizhzhia NPP has been running only on emergency diesel generators for over a week after losing its last external 330 kV line, "Ferosplavna-1," on August 20. - Diesel fuel reserves on-site will last approximately 10 days — the minimum acceptable threshold according to the IAEA. - The nighttime blackout of August 20 was the 27th during the occupation and the 15th since the beginning of 2026. - The IAEA is attempting to coordinate a local ceasefire to repair the line and is calling on the parties to exercise restraint due to strikes near fuel storage facilities and coolers. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been operating exclusively on emergency diesel generators for over a week after the last external power line was lost as a result of hostilities. This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, according to RBC-Ukraine. According to estimates by the plant and agency experts, the available diesel fuel reserves will last approximately 10 days — the minimum acceptable threshold below which the facility can no longer guarantee safe cooling of the reactors and fuel storage pools. ### Loss of the Last External Line: The 27th Blackout On the night of August 20, the plant lost connection to its last external 330 kV power line, "Ferosplavna-1," and was forced to switch to its own backup power sources. This is already the 27th blackout at the facility since it came under occupation and the 15th such incident since the beginning of 2026. Since the external line was disconnected, all critical consumers — primarily the pumps cooling the six reactors and the spent fuel storage pools — have been supplied by emergency diesel generators, which constitutes a survival mode rather than normal operation. ### Ten Days of Reserves: The Minimum Acceptable Threshold IAEA representatives inspected the generators and assessed the available fuel stocks. According to the plant, the current volume of diesel is sufficient for approximately 10 days, which the agency characterizes as the minimum acceptable level. Regular fuel deliveries have been significantly hampered by intensified hostilities: according to available information, the last delivery to the external storage facility took place as far back as March, while the May delivery was disrupted. The IAEA emphasizes that without the urgent restoration of the external line or new fuel deliveries, the plant will face the threat of a complete power outage. ### Contradictory Data The description of fuel logistics in the statements and reports contains an inconsistency that must be openly laid out. On the one hand, the plant and the agency paint a picture of a critical situation: the external storage facility, according to the latest data, has not been replenished since March, the May delivery was disrupted, and the overall reserve is assessed as sufficient for only the minimum 10 days. On the other hand, at the end of the week, IAEA experts recorded the transfer of several dozen tons of diesel from sites near the ZNPP. These two points create a contradictory picture: formally, fuel was being transferred to the facility, but its volume, judging by the estimates, does not eliminate the threat and does not change the conclusion that the reserve remains at the edge of the minimum acceptable level. The difference in emphasis — "fuel is not being delivered" versus "the transfer of dozens of tons was recorded" — reflects a discrepancy in how the parties characterize the actual state of the reserves. ### Military Activity and Air Threats Explosions and shelling continue to be recorded on the plant's territory and in its vicinity; observers reported several drone strikes in this area. Military activity and air threats, according to the agency, are also being recorded at other nuclear facilities in the country. The IAEA called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint, emphasizing that strikes near fuel storage facilities or cooling reservoirs pose critical risks to nuclear and radiation safety. ### Occupation and the Conversion of the Plant into a Military Object The Zaporizhzhia NPP has been under Russian occupation since March 2022; during this time, the plant has repeatedly been on the verge of a blackout due to damage to its last power lines from shelling. IAEA experts are present on-site on a permanent basis to monitor the safety status, however, the occupying forces regularly restrict access to certain critical objects. According to available data, Russian forces have turned the ZNPP territory into a military base: weapons depots are being set up at the plant, strike drones are being launched, and certain technical rooms have been mined. ### IAEA Attempts to Coordinate a Local Ceasefire To resolve the crisis, the agency is attempting to coordinate a local ceasefire in order to repair the damaged "Ferosplavna-1" line and return the plant to external power supply. Until this line is restored and stable fuel deliveries are ensured, the situation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP remains critical: the facility is balancing on the edge of a complete power outage, and each day of operation on diesel generators depletes the already minimal fuel reserve. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Zaporizhzhia NPP Could Face a Complete Blackout Within Ten Days, IAEA Says](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zaporizka-aes-mozhe-zitknutisya-povnim-blekautom-1788027877.html) - Основной источник: заявление Гросси, 10 дней запаса, потеря линии 20.08, блекауты. - [IAEA Reports That Zaporizhzhia NPP Has Been Using Generators for Over a Week](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6a9291449546abbf2fc34dd9) - Подтверждает срок работы на генераторах более недели. - [Grossi Warns of Risk of Complete Power Disconnection of the ZNPP](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/29/08/2026/6a9304b9279d0c2045a7b519) - Подтверждает срок работы на генераторах более недели. - [Occupied ZNPP Has Been Running Only on Generators for Over a Week, IAEA Says](https://unn.ua/ru/news/okkupirovannaya-zaes-bolee-nedeli-rabotaet-tolko-na-generatorakh-magate) - Независимое подтверждение статуса станции и работы на генераторах. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How long has the Zaporizhzhia NPP been running on diesel generators? **A:** For over a week: the plant lost connection to its last external 330 kV line, "Ferosplavna-1," on August 20 and has since been cooling the reactors and fuel storage pools using emergency diesel generators. ### Q: How many days do the fuel reserves last? **A:** Approximately 10 days, which the IAEA characterizes as the minimum acceptable threshold. Without restoring the external line or new fuel deliveries, the plant risks facing a complete power outage. ### Q: What is the IAEA doing to resolve the crisis? **A:** The agency is attempting to coordinate a local ceasefire to repair the "Ferosplavna-1" line, and is also calling on the parties to exercise maximum restraint due to strikes near fuel storage facilities and cooling reservoirs.