Neither electricity nor monitoring technologies are currently really secured in the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Experts comment on possible dangers.
Chernobyl – Days have passed since Russian troops seized the nuclear ruins in Chernobyl. In the meantime, the former nuclear power plant in Ukraine* has been cut off from the power supply. According to the Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenerho, power lines were destroyed by shelling. Combat operations in the Ukraine conflict* north of Kyiv are currently preventing all repair work.
The former nuclear power plant, known for the 1986 catastrophe, is increasingly cut off from the outside world. Radioactive waste is still stored there today. The lack of power supply combined with the occupation by Russia* brings with it a whole battery of problems. But what are the specific dangers?
Ukraine conflict: Power supply cut at former Chernobyl nuclear power plant
As already mentioned, one aspect is the power supply. On Wednesday (March 9th, 2022), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter that diesel generators could compensate for the power outage for 48 hours. “After that, the cooling systems of the spent nuclear fuel storage facility will be shut down, making radiation leaks imminent.” “Putin’s war is endangering all of Europe,” said Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The second problem lies in the isolation of the Chernobyl nuclear ruins. According to the IAEA, 210 technicians and local security personnel have been on duty at Chernobyl non-stop for almost two weeks. Although they have water and food, their situation is getting worse and worse. Typically, more than 2,000 people work in rotating shifts in the restricted area. The Ukrainian authorities could only communicate with their employees on site by e-mail.
“I am deeply concerned about the difficult and stressful situation faced by the staff at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the potential risks it poses to nuclear safety. I urge the forces in effective control of the facility to urgently facilitate the safe rotation of personnel there,” he said today.
Chernobyl in the Ukraine conflict: Monitoring the nuclear ruins is no longer possible
The third problem lies in monitoring the nuclear ruins in Chernobyl. Rafael Grossi announced that “the remote data transmission of the monitoring systems installed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant failed”. These IAEA monitoring systems are designed to determine if radioactive material is escaping and if any stored waste is still in place.
Other experts have now also commented on the risk situation after the occupation of Chernobyl. Claire Corkhill from the Chair of Nuclear Material Degradation at the University of Sheffield explains the different hazard potentials of the reactors. “Spent fuel elements from reactors 1 and 3 are stored in a cooling pool. This material generates heat from radioactive decay and requires constant cooling, which is accomplished by pumping fresh, cool water into the pools. Without a power supply, this water could slowly evaporate, which could lead to the building being contaminated by small amounts of radioactive isotopes.” This puts the employees in particular danger.
Ukraine conflict: How dangerous is the Russian occupation of Chernobyl?
In reactor 4 the situation is different. Here one needs the radiation monitoring systems to monitor the nuclear fuel stored there. This is not in water tanks. According to Corkhill, this is the only way to accurately estimate the risk potential.
Geraldine Thomas, Imperial College London and director of Chernobyl Tissue Bank, told the Science Media Center that a radiation release was “very unlikely”. And even if there were a release of radiation in Chernobyl, “this would only be limited to the immediate vicinity and therefore pose no danger to Western Europe – there would be no radioactive cloud,” emphasizes the expert.
The International Atomic Energy Agency also currently sees “no critical safety implications in this case,” it said on Twitter. In order to help protect the country’s nuclear facilities, the IAEA Director General has agreed in a press release to travel to Chernobyl or any other Ukrainian facility “to secure security assurances for Ukraine’s nuclear facilities from the parties to the conflict”. (Sophia Lother) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Rubriklistenbild: © Bryan Smith/Imago
