Nuclear power plant

Russian forces in Ukraine have been shelling the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the largest nuclear plant of its kind in Europe.

The reactors have large concrete containments and built-in fire protection systems, he said, adding: “Obviously, it’s not a good idea if you start shooting massive missiles at reactors,” he said. The US also said their latest information showed no indication of elevated radiation levels at the plant. It is about 200km from the contested Donbas region and 550km south-east of Kyiv. He said the pressurised water reactors were “a lot safer” than the reactors at Chernobyl, and did not appear to be damaged yet. It has six reactors, each generating 950MW, and a total output of 5,700MW, enough energy for roughly 4m homes. A short time later, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service reported that radiation at the plant was “within normal limits” and the fire conditions at the plant were “normal”. It reported that the fire was in a building outside the power plant.

The world held its collective breath as Russian troops battled Ukrainian forces at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The battle is over and no radiation ...

War, in my opinion, is the worst enemy of nuclear safety. Governance, regulation and oversight – all crucial for the safe running of a nuclear industry – are also disrupted, as is local infrastructure, such as the capability of local firefighters. One of the overarching concerns is that war degrades safety culture, which is crucial in running a plant. War adversely affects the safety culture in a number of ways. In situations like that you get “ station blackout” – and that is one of the worst things that could happen. The worst-case scenario is that a bunker-buster missile breaches the containment dome – consisting of a thick shell of reinforced concrete on top of the reactor – and explodes. One of the problems in the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan was the emergency generators, which replaced lost off-site power, got inundated with water and failed. One concern is that the workers will not be allowed to change shifts, meaning longer hours and tiredness. Stress increases the chance of error and poor performance. This spent fuel pool isn’t in the containment building, and as such is more vulnerable. The reactors at Zaporizhzhia are of moderately good design. The site of that disaster is also under Russian control as of Feb. 24, 2022.

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, was seized by Russian forces on Friday, after an attack that started a fire close ...

“If the electricity is taken out, the back-up generators kick in, but if those don’t kick in or their diesel fuel is set on fire, for example, the pumps can’t pump cold water into the reactor and into the spent fuel pools. She warned, however, that the pools holding spent fuel rods could be more of a worry. “The fuel there is not as active, but they are usually overstuffed,” Budjeryn said. “This is the first time in our history, in the history of mankind, the terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror.” VVER reactors are considered much safer than the type of reactor that blew up in Chernobyl in 1986, for example. “Only immediate action of Europe can stop Russian troops and prevent the death of Europe from the disaster at a nuclear station.” The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, also spoke to Zelenskiy after news of the fire broke. “The situation continues to be extremely tense and challenging,” Grossi said. Zelenskiy said earlier on Friday while the fire was still blazing that Europe “must wake up now. After all, we fought together in 1986 against the Chernobyl catastrophe,” he said in a televised address. She said attacks on nuclear facilities are a direct violation of the Geneva conventions. It is necessary that another shift comes to work,” Kotin said on Energoatom’s Telegram channel.

Following recent news of Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is the largest in Europe, there is great concern ...

Water must be circulated in storage pools and the reactor even after shutdown, which means a source of electricity is required, as well as staff to monitor and manage the plant. It seems likely, at least currently, that the planners of Russia’s “special military operation” will seek to capture the plant as a piece of critical national infrastructure. Such a scenario is not limited to a nuclear reactor either. With six large nuclear power reactors, there is a significant quantity of nuclear material at the site. Older reactors, such as those in Ukraine, require active measures to maintain the fuel in a safe state. To attack a nuclear power plant, especially one so close to one’s own territory, is a highly risky strategy.

Rafael Mariano Grossi (on screen), Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, briefs members of the UN Security Council the situation in ...

“Nuclear facilities cannot become part of this conflict.” And what we are witnessing in— Rosemary A. DiCarlo (@DicarloRosemary) #Ukraineis inconsistent with the principles of the @UNCharter. The fighting must stop immediately. “Firing shells in the area of a nuclear power plant violates the fundamental principle that the physical integrity of nuclear facilities must be maintained and kept safe at all time.” Attacks on nuclear facilities are contrary to international humanitarian law. He emphasized that the mission would be restricted to nuclear safety and security, and in no way be connected to the political or diplomatic aspects of the crisis, which fall under the purview of the Security Council. Against that backdrop, IAEA stands ready to travel to Ukraine as soon as possible, with the goal of establishing a framework to ensure that the safety and integrity of all nuclear facilities can be observed.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on nuclear energy – it has four main power plants, with 15 reactors, generating about half its electricity. On Friday, the ...

The cooling systems rely on diesel generators, so any damage to these – or if fuel was siphoned off for other purposes – could cause an incident similar to that at Fukushima, where the plant’s power failed after a tsunami. The Chernobyl reactor used graphite to keep the nuclear reaction under control and the disaster was caused by a graphite fire. The Zaporizhzhia plant – and those at Ukraine’s other main plants, Khmelnitski, Rovno and South Ukraine – has pressurised water reactors, a more modern type that do not involve graphite. “If there’s going to be a major nuclear incident it’s because something deliberately is being done,” said Tom Scott, professor in materials at the University of Bristol. “Surely nobody is going to be that stupid. Reports from the site suggest that staff have continued to control operations. The wind is blowing towards Russia at the moment.”