Russia has switched a reactor at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant from a cold shutdown state to a warm shutdown state – contrary to the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among others. Ukrainian nuclear energy company Energoatom warned that this practice “increases the risk of a radiation accident.”
“The Russian invaders of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant have moved unit No. 4 from the state of ‘cold shutdown’ to the state of ‘hot shutdown’. According to the IAEA, Unit 6 will instead be moved from the ‘hot’ to the ‘cold’ state,” Energoatom said on its Telegram channel. To avoid a safety risk, the Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory Authority (SNRIU) is calling for the closure of all six units of the plant, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also recommends.
The hot shutdown produces steam that is used for the power plant’s safety functions. The IAEA had asked the occupiers to find alternative sources of steam generation to meet the power plant’s needs.
Energoatom: “Can lead to radiation accident”
“The presence of Russian military personnel, weapons and heavy equipment at the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and non-compliance with the provisions of the SNRIU (Ukrainian Nuclear Regulatory Authority) lead to unavoidable damage to the power plant equipment and systems, which are important for safety. This could lead not only to an increase in the number of malfunctions, but also to a radiation accident,” said Petro Kotin, president of Energoatom.
Accusation: Russia ignores ‘common sense’
The regulations were only changed in June – since then all power plant blocks have only been allowed to be in a ‘cold shutdown’ state. “It is prohibited to put power stations in the more dangerous state of ‘hot shutdown’,” the message clarifies. This change was made “due to the lack of timely and quality maintenance and necessary routine repairs of the equipment.” “However, the occupation administration ignores not only the legal requirements of the legitimate operator Energoatom and the regulator, but also common sense,” the Ukrainian nuclear power company said.
Energoatom: There have already been dangerous incidents
The actions of the Russian operators have already led to a number of emergencies. In reactor unit 4, radioactive coolant leaked from the first circuit to the second circuit due to heating, “which is a violation of one of the rules against the spread of radioactive contamination,” Energoatom said. There was also an incident in Block 6. The hot shutdown would have led to a significant increase in the amount of liquid radioactive waste here, which “would pose a potential hazard to personnel, the public and the environment.”
Source: Krone
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