Zelensky relies on reports from the Ukrainian security services. While not independently verified, the president says he has shared knowledge with allies.
Moscow, however, vehemently denies the plans. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ukraine’s allegations “blatant lies” and said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors had found everything to be fine. A statement released the day before the visit of IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who will travel to Russia tomorrow to meet, among others, Rosatom.
12 times Borsele
Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe with six reactors. Each reactor in turn has twice the capacity of the Borssele nuclear reactor. And for this very reason, BNR foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg believes it is “practically impossible” for a targeted attack to take place. “If the Russians do that, they will completely lose all the political goodwill they had up until now,” he said. “The Chinese, for example, would never approve.”
‘The Chinese would never approve of an attack’
Besides, Russians would shoot themselves in the foot, Hammelburg thinks. “The moment a radioactive cloud forms, it will most likely blow towards Russia,” he says. ‘The west wind is dominant in the world.’
“Disaster in Slow Motion”
If Russia actually launches a targeted attack on the reactors in Zaporizhia, not only Russia will have a problem, but the rest of the world as well. This is the argument of nuclear expert Jan Vande Putte of Greenpeace. Although there will not be a huge hydrogen explosion as in Fukushima, or acute air contamination as in the case of Chernobyl, Vande Putte dares to speak of a “slow-motion disaster”, because the reactors are subject to a so-called cold shutdown . they are turned off. “In the short term it’s less dangerous than Fukushima, but in the long term it’s at least as dangerous.”
“In the short term it is less dangerous than Fukushima, in the long term at least as much”
Shutting down the reactors results in less waste heat, what Vande Putte calls, which slows down the possible emission of radioactivity. It takes several hours for active reactors to release radioactivity, but it can take days for decommissioned reactors. Especially if the reactor buildings contain filters, as is the case in three of the six Zaporizhia reactors.
Cooling down
Furthermore, he knows that the reactors still have sufficient cooling. Not only are the cooling systems still functioning, Zaporizhia also has sufficient generators and there is a branch of the Djnepr next to the cooling basin, from which water can be pumped.
However, it is not afraid of a possible escalation, although it calls for vigilance. Especially since Russia may want to sabotage the plant. “If the offensive proceeds in such a way that the Russians have to withdraw from Zaporizhia, then it will be dangerous,” Vande Putte stresses. “Then they can sabotage the plant in such a way as to make it not only difficult for Ukraine to take control of it, but also to make future use impossible.”
A “cold shutdown” of a nuclear power plant is a procedure in which all nuclear reactors in the plant are completely shut down and cooled down. It refers to a state in which no more fission reactions occur and the reactor is in a stable and safe state.
In a cold shutdown, several steps are taken to allow the reactor to cool down safely. This includes reducing reactor power levels, shutting down nuclear reactions, and activating emergency cooling systems to remove waste heat in the reactor.