Zaporizhzhia power plant could restart in 18 months once the war ends, head says

MOSCOW, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The head of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine said on Monday the facility could restart power generation by the middle of 2027 if the war concludes in the near future.

"If this (the end of the conflict) happens tomorrow, we will be ready to start up in mid-2027," Ramil Galiyev was cited as saying by Russia's RIA state news agency.

The nuclear plant, Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022, when Russian forces overran much of southeastern Ukraine. It is not currently producing electricity but relies on external power to keep the nuclear material cool and avoid a meltdown.

Power line repairs are currently underway at the plant under the watch of a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and are expected to last a few days.

Galiyev said "serious issues" at the plant would have to be addressed before it could go online, including replenishing the cooling pond and preparing railway tracks.

Both Russia and Ukraine regularly accuse one another of shelling the plant, risking a nuclear disaster.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou)