On December 23, 2025, a formal ceremony was held at the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision of the Russian Federation (Rostechnadzor). The event was attended by Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev, First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy Andrey Petrov, Rosenergoatom Concern Director General Alexander Shutikov, and Director General of JSC EO ZNPP Ramil Galiev.
The license was handed over by Rostechnadzor Head Alexander Trembitsky. Speaking at the ceremony, he said: “Today we are opening a special page in the history of both Russian and global nuclear power. This event is not merely an administrative procedure; it is a legal and technical confirmation that the safety of the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant meets established requirements.”
Obtaining an operating license for Unit 1 is a key milestone in ensuring the long-term and safe operation of the unit beyond its original design lifetime. This event reflects ongoing forward-looking efforts as part of integrating the facility into the legal framework of the Russian Federation.
Alexey Likhachev said: “We are gradually approaching the possibility of changing the operating mode of Unit 1, including a potential return to electricity generation. This will require a separate decision and full compliance with all license conditions, including safety requirements. The Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant is the largest in Europe, and its output will provide significant support for restoring the region’s industrial potential once the situation stabilizes.”
Large-scale work has been carried out since
2022. In addition to preparing all the required documentation, Russian
specialists conducted comprehensive assessments of equipment condition across
the plant.
Ramil Galiev, Head of JSC EO ZNPP, spoke about the work performed by Russian specialists to obtain the license: “During the 2025 maintenance campaign, servicing and repairs were carried out on safety system channels and systems important to safety at all power units, including high-voltage circuit breakers at the 750 kV switchyard, unit transformers, auxiliary equipment, and much more. Technical assessments of equipment and pipelines are carried out on a continuous basis as part of service life extension programs.”
The work does not stop there. Major overhauls of the power units, including reactor pressure vessel metal inspections, are scheduled for 2026. Licenses for Units 2–6 are planned to be obtained in 2026–2027.
The Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP),
comprising six power units with a total capacity of 6 GW, was built in the
1980s on the shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
The decision to construct the plant was taken
by the USSR Council of Ministers in 1977, and construction began in 1979,
giving a strong boost to the region’s economic development. In 1980, the
technical design for the first stage of the ZNPP, consisting of four power
units, was approved, and phased construction of the plant began in 1981.
Between 1984 and 1987, four power units were commissioned. In 1988, a project
to expand the plant was approved, providing for the construction of two
additional power units with similar reactors. As a result, a total of six power
units with VVER reactors, each with a capacity of 1,000 MW, were built and
commissioned at the ZNPP site. This reactor type is the most widely used in its
series.
In 2022, following referendums, the Zaporozhye
Region, where the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant is located, became part of
the Russian Federation. Subsequently, by a decree of the President of the
Russian Federation, JSC EO ZNPP was designated as the operating organization to
ensure the safe and reliable operation of the ZNPP nuclear power units.
In October 2022, JSC “Operating Organization of
the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant” (JSC EO ZNPP) became the new entity
authorized to operate the Zaporozhskaya NPP and tasked with ensuring both the
safe operation of the plant and the professional activities of its existing
personnel.
At present, the ZNPP property complex is owned
by the Russian Federation.
Since the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, a number of tasks have arisen to ensure the plant’s operation, including establishing a legislative framework for such a complex facility. In October 2022, a decision was made to introduce a so-called transitional period, during which licenses previously issued by the Ukrainian regulator were permitted to remain in force. The transitional period was set to last until January 1, 2028. The relevant decision was set by a Presidential Decree.
