Ukraine: consequences of the damage to the Kakhovka dam on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
Introduction
The Kakhovka dam, located downstream of the Zaporizhzhya power plant, was severely damaged on the night of June 5-6, 2023, leading to a significant drop in the level of the Dnieper River upstream of the dam. The plant is currently cooled by water pumped into specially designed on-site basins. There is no short-term risk to the plant.
The Kakhovka dam, located downstream of the Zaporizhzhya power plant, was severely damaged on the night of June 5-6, 2023, leading to a significant drop in the level of the Dnieper River upstream of the dam. The plant is currently cooled by water pumped into specially designed on-site basins.
There is no short-term risk to the plant.
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The importance of preserving the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine
Introduction
At the Board of Governors meeting, IAEA Director General R. Grossi once again emphasized how dangerous the situation is at the Zaporizhzhya site and that the continuing Russian bombing of Ukraine's energy infrastructure increases the risk of a nuclear accident every day.
At the Board of Governors meeting in March 2023, IAEA Director General R. Grossi once again emphasized how dangerous the situation is at the Zaporizhzhya site and that the continuing Russian bombing of Ukraine's energy infrastructure increases the risk of a nuclear accident every day.
Face with of this situation, the European Union and its member states have reaffirmed the great importance they attach to nuclear safety and to its continuous improvement and reinforcement. The European Union also stresses that the seizure and militarization of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant by Russia is the cause of the current threats in the field of nuclear safety and security.
Like several of its partners in Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, IRSN reaffirms the importance of preserving the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. In particular, the guarantee of a stable power supply to the facilities is an essential element of this safety.
DOE/NNSA (USA)
One year ago, Russia forcibly seized the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, a flagrant danger to nuclear safety. Russia needs to show the world it can once again be responsible nuclear power supplier to the global energy sector.
https://twitter.com/nnsahruby/status/1632024179665977347?s=46&t=7Ux8IB8pshNxNEQ-NlO7Fg
DOE (USA)
"Nations around the world are now moving to break their overreliance on Russian fossil energy. Russia has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not a responsible nuclear power... It must face consequences for those actions."
https://twitter.com/ENERGY/status/1635993502776434690?cxt=HHwWhICxvYjbm7QtAAAA
VTT (Finland)
https://www.vttresearch.com/en/news-and-ideas/vtt-looking-ukrainian-trainees-part-scienceforukraine-initiative (14 juillet 2022)
VTT, Technical Research Centre of Finland, is taking part in the #ScienceForUkraine initiative by offering three trainee spots to Ukrainians. The paid trainee program starts in autumn 2022, and VTT will cover the cost of housing. The international #ScienceForUkraine initiative collects information on job opportunities offered to Ukrainian nationals by universities and research centers around the world. Several organizations in Finland are also taking part in the initiative.
War causes extensive human suffering and the need for help is increasing in Ukraine. The crisis affects also the 7.5 million children of Ukraine. VTT does its part in helping families and children by donating EUR 50,000 to Unicef. Unicef is already operating in the crisis area and with the help from the donations, will be able to expand the operation.
LEI (Lithuanie)
https://www.lei.lt/en/lithuanian-energy-institute-supports-ukraine (Mars 2022)
Today, Ukraine is suffering from brutal, open and large-scale war and aggression by the Russian Federation. The Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI) condemns actions of the aggressor.
The community of the Lithuanian Energy Institute admires the unity and heroism of the Ukrainian people in defending their country, its independence and democracy. "The Institute expresses support and encouragement to Ukraine and its people. LEI cooperates and is ready to expand cooperation with Ukrainian scientific institutions. Currently, 3 Ukrainian citizens are studying and conducting research at the Lithuanian Energy Institute. The institute is ready to accept more Ukrainian students and researchers and provide them with support during these difficult times. We are together with the people of Ukraine" – says Sigitas Rimkevičius, Director of LEI.
https://www.lei.lt/en/lithuanian-energy-institute-participates-in-the-initiative-scienceforukraine/
Jacobs (UK)
https://www.jacobs.com/newsroom/news/jacobs-stands-firmly-people-ukraine (4 Mars 2022)
We are deeply concerned about the terrible situation unfolding in Ukraine and we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they defend their independence.
Our immediate concern is for the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and their families in Ukraine, and for our employees in other countries, including Poland, who have families affected. We are in daily contact with our impacted colleagues and doing all we can to offer them support and guidance, including helping those able to leave Ukraine.
We are immensely proud that our Jacobs employees are helping across the world in so many ways, particularly at the Ukraine border, where they are welcoming the people of Ukraine into their homes. We are staying close to the situation and, are looking at ways to facilitate employment at Jacobs for people displaced by the crisis.
Jacobs has no operations, offices or real estate in either Russia or Belarus. We are working across the globe as quickly as possible to identify any relationships with Russian-controlled entities or those with a material investment from a Russian-controlled organization. We believe such work is extremely limited, and if discovered, will immediately initiate termination of any relationships that we find.
Jacobs joins the call for an immediate end to the unprovoked aggressions against Ukraine and its people, and a peaceful conclusion to these shocking and tragic events.
SSM (Suède)
Joint statements on the situation in Ukraine
Sweden and SSM stand behind joint statements by INRA, the European Union and ENSREG on the situation in Ukraine. We are gravely concerned about the situation and the potential serious impacts on the safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, especially the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We strongly endorse the importance of the fundamental Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security as outlined by IAEA. We continue to offer our steadfast support to the Ukrainian nuclear regulator and commend all of its efforts to keep nuclear facilities in Ukraine safe and secure. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and appeal for maximum restraint, to avoid any action, which may put Ukraine's nuclear facilities at risk.
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Ukraine: Description of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and its environment as of September 6, 2022
Introduction
The Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant, operated by the Ukrainian staff of Energoatom, has been under the control of Russian forces since March 4, 2022. It has been recently the subject of several bombings.
The Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant, operated by the Ukrainian staff of Energoatom, has been under the control of Russian forces since March 4, 2022. It has been recently the subject of several bombings, causing great concern about the possible consequences:
- August 5, 2022: bombing of a 330 kV transformer which led to the automatic shutdown of reactor no. 3 and the starting of its emergency generators.
- August 5, 2022: bombing and damage to a nitrogen production station.
- August 6, 2022: bombing near the spent fuel dry storage site.
- August 11, 2022: bombings damaging fire-fighting equipment, a non-radioactive effluent pumping station and radioactivity measurement sensors.
- August 22, 2022: bombing near the thermal power plant causing damage to the electrical interconnection line with the nuclear power plant.
- August 23, 2022: bombing between the nuclear power plant and the neighboring town of Energodar, resulting in fires in the vegetation near the plant.
- August 25, 2022: bombing to the north of the thermal power plant next to the nuclear power plant, resulting in vegetation fires and a temporary disconnection of the nuclear power plant from the electrical grid; emergency diesels would have started.
- August 25, 2022: bombing of an access gallery of reactor no. 2 (link with operating building no. 1), damaging water pipes and electrical links.
- August 28, 2022: bombing of the exploitation building n°1 leading to a perforation of the roof and damages in the present equipment.
- September 1, 2022: bombing of the site leading to the cutting of a 750 kV power line, the shutdown of reactor no. 5 and the starting of the emergency diesels of reactor no. 2.
- September 5, 2022: bombing near the thermal power plant which led the operator to cut the last power line connecting the plant to the Ukrainian power grid.
To date, none of these bombings has resulted in radioactive releases at the site. No increase in radioactivity has been detected by the environmental monitoring networks located near the plant. The site teams intervened each time to restore the situation as far as possible.
In order to facilitate the understanding of the consequences of the recurrent events occurring at the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant site, this note resituates the plant in its environment, describes the site and recalls the main issues related to its safety in the current context.
Download IRSN information report of September 6, 2022 (pdf)
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Ukraine: Situation of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant after the shelling of August 11, 2022
Introduction
On Thursday, August 11, 2022, new shelling was reported in the area of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine. According to the information available, sensitive areas regarding radiological risks were not affected. Available measurements in the environment do not show an increase of radioactivity around the site.
On Thursday, August 11, 2022, new shelling was reported in the area of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine. According to the information available, sensitive areas regarding radiological risks were not affected.
According to Energoatom, the plant's operator, fire-fighting equipment, a non-radioactive effluent pumping station and radioactivity measurement sensors were damaged.
Available measurements in the environment do not show an increase of radioactivity around the site.
Sensitive areas with regard to radiological risks, particularly in the event of a shelling, are primarily the nuclear reactors and their associated fuel storage pools, the cooling systems used during normal operation or in accident situations and, more generally, areas containing radioactive materials, such as dry storage containers for spent fuel and radioactive effluent storage capacities.
In this matter, in addition to the equipment and buildings that house them, the external electrical network (330 kV and 750 kV), as well as the supply of water to the plant from the river, are essential for maintaining safety. This is also the case for the fire-fighting equipment. It should be noted that the 330 kV power supply, damaged by a previous shelling on August 5 and 6, 2022, has reportedly been restored.
In addition, the difficult conditions under which the site is operated (supply capacity for fuel, equipment maintenance, availability of emergency response teams...) (cf. IRSN information report of March 22, 2022) may affect the effective status of emergency systems.
Download IRSN information report of August 12, 2022 (pdf)
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Ukraine: Situation of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine after the shelling of August 5 and 6, 2022
Introduction
On Friday, August 5, 2022, at 2:30 pm, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine was subjected to shelling around a high-voltage 330 kV power line transformer. At that time, 3 reactors were in operation and 3 were shut down. The destruction led to the automatic shutdown of reactor n°3 and the start of its emergency power generators.
On Friday, August 5, 2022, at 2:30 pm, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine was subjected to shelling around a high-voltage 330 kV power line transformer. At that time, 3 reactors were in operation and 3 were shut down. The destruction led to the automatic shutdown of reactor n°3 and the start of its emergency power generators.
These generators provide power to the reactor's cooling systems in the event of the loss of the plant's external power supply (cf. IRSN information report March 22, 2022). The shelling also caused power outages in the town of Enerhodar, which is close to the plant.
A little later, on August 5, a second shelling damaged one of the nitrogen-oxygen stations near the radioactive effluent storage buildings. In normal operation, effluents from reactor circuits are treated and stored in liquid or gaseous form to allow their radioactive decay before release into the environment. On the reactors of this plant, nitrogen is used in particular by the gaseous effluent treatment system to inert tanks presenting a risk of hydrogen explosion [1]. In the short term, the supply of nitrogen to the gaseous effluent treatment systems is assured by reserve tanks.
On the evening of Saturday, August 6, 2022, a third shelling took place near the dry spent fuel storage facility, damaging walls, windows, and the roof of the facility, as well as three radiological monitoring sensors. The containers containing spent nuclear fuel assemblies were not damaged.
No radioactive release was observed by the operator on the site following these shelling. The available networks of measurements of radioactivity in the environment also showed no increase in radioactivity.
Actions to repair damaged equipment are necessary to restore the plant's lines of defense, especially at its external electrical sources.
Download IRSN information report of August 8, 2022 (pdf)
[1] Inerting consists in replacing the oxygen in the air with nitrogen.
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