LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #653, Thursday, (06/06/2024)
LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #653, Thursday, (06/06/2024)
“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”
The remains of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant still in the process of being cleaned up since the deathly meltdown in Norther Ukraine in the spring of 1986.
LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (06/06/2024)
I’m wondering if Russia hasn’t been subtly using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) as an ominous potential nuclear weapon all along. I have mentioned as much many times in these “All Things Nuclear” Posts, and if Russia continue on with this ‘threat’ (that’s what it is) they will ‘accidentally’, but intentionally, create a meltdown that will be multiple times worse than the last one they had (Chernobyl in April of 1986), and that one was more than bad enough. One could say no one lives there anymore.
This one, in a war zone, could be a serious threat to a significant part of Ukraine and Europe. From my views of following the long story for well over a year now, it appears to me that Russia (who operates the plant) is gradually working toward the day when they can blame Ukraine for causing the travesty that could kill thousands if not millions of people depending on the wind currents. Both nations have accused each other of repeatedly firing conventional weapons in attempts to substantially damage the plant, and the same thing applies to recent sabotage to the incoming electricity power grid and lines that allows the 6 reactors to function without failing, thereby creating a meltdown. Transmission lines repairs and use of diesel power generators have so far kept the plant (when operating) from melting down, creating hell on earth for that part of the world. ~llaw
Despite the risks, Russia continues to use Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as a source of leverage
By Darya Dolzikova | June 6, 2024
To minimize Russia's leverage from holding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant at risk, Ukraine's partners must press Moscow to keep all reactors shut down and help Kyiv to prepare for a possible nuclear safety incident at the plant. (Credit: Image by Florent via Adobe Stock)
In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia may be planning to restart at least one of the six reactors at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which Russia has occupied since March 2022. The reporting raised concerns about the safety of the plant, were such a decision to be taken. Then on May 28, Aleksey Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state-owned nuclear enterprise, Rosatom, stated that the restarting of the ZNPP would be conditional on guarantees of the facility’s safety, adding that “time will tell” how the requisite safety conditions will be met and that they could be achieved through the retreat of the front line “as far as possible” from the ZNPP.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has since confirmed that an understanding has been reached that the ZNPP’s six reactors “should remain in cold shutdown for the time being.”
But as long as the ZNPP remains under Russian occupation, Moscow will be able to continue using the plant as a source of blackmail to pre-empt any future Ukrainian effort to regain control. To counter Russia’s nuclear blackmailing, Western countries must intensify their military, nuclear safety, and emergency response support to Ukraine, as well as counter Russian disinformation in relation to the state of ZNPP operations and attacks on the facility. Such measures can help minimize the coercive value Moscow may believe it can draw from further threatening the plant’s safety.
Safety risks. Russia has demonstrated a clear disregard for nuclear safety since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, Likhachev’s comments about the need to guarantee ZNPP safety before restarting the plant must be taken with a grain of salt, and certainly not as any kind of assurance that reactors will not be restarted while the plant remains in a war zone. Moreover, so long as Russia maintains control over the ZNPP, Russian operators and regulators will want to dictate when they deem the facility safe for operation, even though the plant’s safety remains in a highly precarious state.
While the ZNPP is not currently in the vicinity of the heaviest fighting, it is still near the front line, with IAEA staff posted at the facility regularly reporting sounds of explosions. Recent drone attacks on the facility do not appear to have caused significant damage but they serve as a reminder of the persistent risk that a military strike—intentional or not—could trigger a safety emergency.
With the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in June 2023 and subsequent draining of the Kakhovka reservoir, the plant lost its main water supply for removing radioactive decay heat from the reactors and spent fuel storage pools and for cooling the emergency diesel generators that kick in when the plant loses external power. The plant regularly loses connection to external power because of attacks on Ukraine’s electric grid and damage to the power lines connecting the plant to the grid. In addition, the IAEA has reported on the presence of anti-personnel mines both around the perimeter of the plant and on the grounds of the facility. There is also a shortage of qualified staff operating at the facility, as many Ukrainian staff have departed due to the conflict or were forced to leave if they refused to take Russian citizenship and sign contracts with Rosatom.
Since September 2022, all six of the plant’s 950-megawatt-electric reactors have been in a shutdown state—alternating between cold and hot shutdown—which has been a key factor in reducing the likelihood of a major radiological disaster at the ZNPP. A unit in a shutdown state is subcritical, meaning that the nuclear fission in the reactor is not self-sustaining and therefore the reactor doesn’t produce power. The core of a reactor in shutdown is at a lower temperature, and the unit requires less cooling water and external power than a fully operating unit. In the case of cold shutdown, the core is at a lower temperature than in hot shutdown and the containment vessel is kept at atmospheric pressure. This allows for more time and options to deal with possible power and coolant loss. Should water or power supply to shutdown reactors be cut off or damaged, experienced operators would likely have several days to prevent escalation to a serious nuclear safety incident (depending on the nature of the damage). This safety margin could shrink to mere hours for an operating reactor.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War
Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in tonight’s Post.)
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A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (06/06/2024)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
The rising threat of nuclear war (Rebroadcast) - KASU
KASU
Visitors look at a model of a Soviet AN-602 thermonuclear aerial bomb. The reality of a nuclear war probably seems unimaginable to the average ...
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin warns Russia could provide long-range weapons to attack West
Sky News
Vladimir Putin has warned he could supply weapons to other nations to strike Western countries in a meeting with international journalists.
'It's just laughable': PM reduced to 'blatant silly scare campaign' about nuclear energy
YouTube
Sky News host Chris Kenny has reacted to a tweet on the Prime Minister's X account, formerly known as Twitter. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ...
Nuclear Power
NEWS
National poll shows shift in Australian nuclear opinion
World Nuclear News
... nuclear power to generate electricity, alongside other sources of energy? ... nuclear power plants as part of its plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
What's the deal with nuclear energy? - ABC listen - ABC
US Public Opinion On Social Media Is Warming To Nuclear Energy, But Concerns Remain
Eurasia Review
The U.S. public displays more positive than negative sentiment toward nuclear energy but concerns remain about waste, cost and safety, ...
US public opinion on social media is warming to nuclear energy, but concerns remain
University of Michigan News
300,000 X posts show 48 of 50 states have a more positive than negative tone about nuclear energy, with a national average at 54% positive.
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
FEMA to test West Virginia, Pennsylvania response to potential nuke power plant incident
WV News
... nuke power plant ... How would officials in Pennsylvania and West Virginia responde in the event of an emergency at the facility? ... nuclear power plant ...
Despite the risks, Russia continues to use Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as a source ...
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
To counter Russia's nuclear blackmailing, Western countries must intensify their military, nuclear safety, and emergency response support to Ukraine, ...
Ukraine's energy chief to EU envoys: Russia seeks full blackout in Ukraine - Ukrinform
Ukrinform
Read also: Emergency power shutdowns in place across 12 regions of Ukraine ... "Therefore, an important task is to protect nuclear energy, avoid ...
Nuclear War
NEW
Putin threatens to arm West's enemies as he talks up Moscow's nuclear weapons | The Independent
The Independent
Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate against Western countries that are allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with their long-range missiles.
Putin says Russia could use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or territory was under threat
Reuters
President Vladimir Putin, asked about the risks of nuclear war over Ukraine, cautioned the West on Wednesday that Russia could use all available ...
The rising threat of nuclear war (Rebroadcast) - 1A
1A
Visitors look at a model of a Soviet AN-602 thermonuclear aerial bomb. TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP via Getty Images. The reality of a nuclear war probably ...
Nuclear War Threats
NEW
Putin Issues New Ominous Nuclear Threat - Newsweek
Newsweek
The Russian president said that his threats of nuclear war should "not be taken lightly" by the West.
Putin says Russia could use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or territory was under threat
Reuters
President Vladimir Putin, asked about the risks of nuclear war over ... threats. "For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it ...
A Slippery Slope to World War III? - FPIF - Foreign Policy in Focus
Foreign Policy in Focus
Nuclear war remains a global threat, particularly around flashpoints like the Taiwan Strait, between India and Pakistan, and around Israel.
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Hiking to Tiemman Shut-ins makes for a great Ozarks outing - Three Rivers Publishing
Three Rivers Publishing
The igneous rocks of the Saint Francois Mountains are interpreted to be a series of caldera complexes, similar in scale to the Yellowstone caldera ...