Energoatom warns of the risk of a "Fukushima-like accident" at ZNPP if generators run out of fuel
Kyiv • UNN
According to the head of Energoatom, if the generators at Zaporizhzhia NPP run out of fuel during a power outage, it could lead to a “Fukushima-like accident.
If the generators at Zaporizhzhya NPP run out of fuel during a power outage, a "Fukushima-like meltdown" could occur. This was stated by the head of Energoatom Petro Kotin, according to The Economist, UNN.
Details
According to Kotin, periodic rocket attacks often lead to power outages. There are backup generators that run on diesel fuel, but no one knows how much diesel fuel is left at the plant.
Kotin emphasized that if the generators run out of diesel during a power outage, "a Fukushima-like meltdown" could occur.
Currently, all six reactors are in cold shutdown mode, meaning they are not generating energy and do not contain fuel. But this does not mean that no work is being done. As Kotin pointed out, it is impossible to mothball a nuclear facility like a "pasta factory."
Cooling systems must be monitored to ensure that the spent fuel does not overheat and maintained in good working order.
A team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the Russian-seized Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant reported hearing explosions, including near the plant, for several days last week. In particular, on June 11, one of the mines located next to the ZNPP cooling pond exploded.