The Importance of Nuclear Energy and Zaporizhzhia to Ukraine

Zaporizhzhia, consisting of 6 reactors and a net capacity of 5,700 megawatts when fully operational, is Ukraine and Europe's largest nuclear power plant. The facility came under drone attack this Sunday, with both Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the strikes which caused “superficial scorching” at one location but with structural integrity seemingly not being compromised.

Commenting on the incident, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned: “Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately". Besides the great concern regarding the ongoing risk of a disaster occurring at the site, there is also a fundamental problem facing Ukraine so long as reactors are shut down, off the grid or under Russian control.

As this infographic shows, nuclear power contributed to Ukraine's electricity generation more than any other source, with 76 million megawatt hours produced in 2020 - ahead of fossil fuels and a long way in front of renewable sources. Zaporizhzhia's full capacity also puts it far ahead of other plants in the country.