In his column for the online media outlet «Economichna Pravda» («Economic truth»), Acting CEO of JSC «NNEGC «Energoatom» Petro Kotin described the actual situation at the nuclear facility, which has been under the occupation of the russian federation for almost two years.
The six-year warranty period authorized by the manufacturer to the nuclear fuel utilized in reactors at the ZNPP to be expired soon. What does it mean? For almost two years, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has been captured by the russian invaders and is under occupation. During the mentioned period, the russians have made the safest plant in Europe the most dangerous one in the world. The ZNPP has become the facility of nuclear blackmail and a means of influencing the civilized world. By their actions, the occupiers have violated the entire system of international regulation, norms, rules, and requirements of nuclear and radiation safety at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The plant has become vulnerable and is losing its legitimacy.
There is only one way to restore the safety system: to return the ZNPP to Ukraine and its operator - Energoatom. This is not only the position of the Ukrainian side, but also the mechanism for restoring nuclear and radiation safety, the mechanism for preventing further emergency situations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, prescribed in numerous IAEA decisions.
However, these are ignored by the russian side, they are not going to implement prescribed decisions. Instead, the russian invaders lay mines along the perimeter of the plant, continue to keep heavy equipment with ammunition complement in the turbine halls and weapons on the roofs of the power units. At the same time, the rhetoric of the occupiers is calmative: «everything is fine», «everything is safe», «everything is functioning»... On February 7, 2024, this is exactly what they reported to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, who personally visited the ZNPP.
And the actual situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP is really critical. The plant has already experienced eight blackouts. There are destructive processes and degradation of equipment, constant interruptions in power supply, an increased level of fire danger, an acute shortage of personnel and inhumane working conditions for the staff, systematic violations of nuclear and radiation safety requirements, repairs are not carried out, etc.
And today, another threat to nuclear and radiation safety has arisen at the ZNPP - the six-year period allowed by the manufacturer for nuclear fuel to stay in reactors, the first batches of which were loaded as far back as 2017, is coming to an end. Further operation of such fuel violates the terms of the technical specifications, determined with consideration of safety standards, and may lead to the destruction of the integrity of the fuel elements and, as a result, to a radiation accident.
No one in the world has previously exceeded the six-year term specified by the manufacturers and defined as safe for operating fuel in reactors. Today, no one knows how the fuel will behave beyond this term. A safety analysis is required. And if, according to its results, the need to unload fuel from the reactors is established, this will lead to many other problems and questions that have not been answered yet.
In fact, this is a purely technical issue, like all other current problems of the ZNPP. And technical problems are solved by competent, experienced, licensed technical management and engineers of the NPP operator. But such personnel are no longer available at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. I would like to remind you that the rascists withdrew last competent staff of Energoatom (about 400 people), including licensed ones, from the plant on February 3, 2024.
Therefore, currently there are no people capable of taking responsibility for making complex decisions on which the nuclear and radiation safety of the facility depends at the ZNPP. In addition, there are no personnel capable of performing complex safety-related equipment operations. The «specialists» got from Russia have neither competence nor experience, because the up-to-date Zaporizhzhia NPP is significantly different from the russian NPPs.
The occupiers should understand: they will not be able to use the Ukrainian assets. They will neither be able to start nuclear reactors nor keep them in a safe state. As a matter of fact, it is not only qualified personnel that is lacking.
It is also impossible to restore the operation of the ZNPP due to the lack of the necessary infrastructure: after the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP, there is not enough water to cool the power units; as a result of the shelling, the power lines are destroyed, and a significant part of the equipment needs repair or replacement. And again, the problem of nuclear fuel in reactors exists...
The military and political ambitions of the aggressor do not coincide with the real state of things at the ZNPP and the ability to solve problems there. Military orders and political slogans cannot eliminate the complex technical problems that have arisen at the nuclear facility, making it extremely dangerous. Instead, efforts to use the nuclear plant for military purposes, attempts to start nuclear reactors, senseless handling of nuclear fuel and other radioactive materials are a direct way to a nuclear and radiation disaster.
The civilized world cannot calmly watch how danger and nuclear threats are increasing at the largest nuclear plant in Europe due to the actions of the occupiers. The russian aggressor must be forced to return the Zaporizhzhia NPP to Ukraine.
That is why the only way to prevent an accident at the plant is the peace plan of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi in terms of nuclear safety, which is the full demilitarization and de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the restoration of control over it by Ukraine.
