Zaporizhia nuclear power plant: Fear of meltdown in Ukraine

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After the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was shelled, concerns about a nuclear catastrophe grew. The nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since March. Moscow has now apparently agreed to an inspection.

With six blocks, that's it Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe

The Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant  – the largest in Europe – is, according to experts, “extremely vulnerable” to a meltdown. Since the Ukrainian state nuclear authority Energoatom announced on Monday, that parts of the nuclear power plant were “severely damaged”, the fear of a meltdown is growing.

Should the power plant lose access to the power grid due to a possible escalation of fighting in the region, Greenpeace East Asia nuclear expert Shaun Burnie said the backup generators and batteries would not be sufficient to power the six reactor blocks and the large pools for high-level radioactive spent fuel to cool.

“In its current operation, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant runs the risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards,” read a statement published by Ukraine's nuclear agency Energoatom in a channel of the messaging app Telegram. “There is still a risk of hydrogen leakage and scattering of radioactive particles. The risk of fire is also high.”

Concern for Zaporizhia NPP

One of three active reactors shut down

Over the weekend, an oxygen station, a nitrogen station and an auxiliary building at the power plant came under fire. So far, no radioactive leak has been detected. Technicians have shut down one of the three operational reactors as a precaution.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanded that international inspectors be granted access to the Zaporizhia facility. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of the shelling. “Any attack on a nuclear power plant is suicidal,” Guterres said at a news conference in Japan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had already in a DW interview on July 29 blamed the Russian occupying forces for violating all security measures.

AKW as a “shield” for attacks

The Russian occupiers are accused, among other things, of using Zaporizhia as a weapons depot and as a “shield for attacks”. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told a UN session on nuclear non-proliferation in New York that Russia was using the nuclear power plant as the “equivalent of a human shield”.

If true, it would be a violation of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians During War. This stipulates a special duty of care for “installations with potential danger” in war zones. According to reports, around 500 Russian soldiers are currently on the site of the power plant in Zaporizhia.

When fighting began near the power plant in March, it was the first time in the nuclear age that weapons had been used in the immediate vicinity of a nuclear power plant. Since Russian forces occupied the power plant, there has only been sporadic news from Zaporizhia. The Ukrainian staff was apparently allowed to continue working.

“Patchy contact” with the maintenance staff

IAEA chief Grossi expressed concern that Ukrainian personnel, currently under the command of the Russian occupiers in Zaporizhia, may not be able to perform their duties properly and are said to be facing threats of violence. p>

Camera footage shows an attack on the Zaporizhia NPP

“I have tried to put together a technical mission under my leadership to deal with a number of problems on the ground,” he told DW. However, access would not be possible without the escort of UN peacekeepers, Grossi said, a situation he plans to discuss with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

In an interview with the AP published on Tuesday, Grossi said the Atomic Energy Agency had only “patchy” contact with local staff. He also expressed concern that necessary equipment, including spare parts for reactor maintenance, was not being delivered due to disrupted supply chains.

Independent inspection in Zaporizhia? 

According to a media report, Russia is now apparently ready to allow an international inspection of the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant enable.

Greenpeace's Shaun Burnie stressed that it is very important that trained local personnel continue to work safely at the power plant. Although Russia has more than twice as many reactors as Ukraine, most of them are older models. That means the engineers there didn't have the expertise to operate the newer technology in Zaporizhia, Burnie explained.

Local staff will also be there in the event of the regularly occurring floods from the nearby Dnieper River needed. The water could damage dams and the cooling water reservoirs for the reactors.

Petro Kotin, head of Ukraine's state-owned nuclear power plant operator Energoatom, accused Russia last week of kidnapping up to 100 employees from Zaporizhia. He demanded the liberation of the nuclear power plant and declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin was engaged in “nuclear terrorism”.

Edited by: Jennifer Collins

This article of August 3rd was last updated on August 8th and translated from English.