Katerina Chernovol23:29, 28.10.23

According to the terms of the license, all 6 power units of Zaporizhzhya NPP, without exception, must be in a cold state.

The Russian occupiers put the 4th and 5th units  of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant into a hot state . In addition, the Russians intend to assemble power unit 3, which is under repair.

“Today, at the Zaporozhye NPP, in accordance with the terms of the license, all 6 power units, without exception, must be in a cold state. Instead, in violation of the terms of the license of the State Nuclear Regulatory Authority, the occupiers transferred power units No. 4 and 5 to a hot state, that is, they warmed them up to nominal parameters. In addition, the occupiers intend to assemble power unit No. 3 of the Zaporozhye NPP, which is now dismantled and is being repaired. This is very dangerous,” he emphasized during the  telethon  . O. Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulation Inspectorate Oleg Korikov.

Firstly, the assembly of the reactor of power unit No. 3 contradicts the terms of the license for the safe operation of the power unit. It stipulates that power unit No. 3 must be in a cold state for repairs.

“We do not have information on compliance with the conditions of safe operation in the shutdown state of power unit No. 3. Let me remind you that power unit No. 3, like all other units, is loaded with irradiated nuclear fuel, and appropriate routine tests and inspections of the system and equipment must be carried out, which must be ensured in working order and even in a cold shutdown state. We have a number of violations of regulatory documents on nuclear and radiation safety. (…) The average repair of the reactor installation has not been carried out in the proper amount, appropriate maintenance and repairs, tests, inspections of equipment have not been carried out, pipelines, as well as appropriate personnel training: testing knowledge and supporting personnel qualifications,” he added. 

In addition, there is no information about certain work that must be carried out in the prescribed manner. There is not a sufficient number of qualified personnel on site who are capable of performing both high-quality assembly of the reactor and conducting quality control of this assembly.

“According to our information, the occupiers are hiring, due to an insufficient number of qualified personnel, from local collaborators, as well as workers from Russian nuclear power plants who do not have the appropriate qualifications, who lack knowledge, experience, specialization and skills. There is no appropriate number and proper quality of sealing materials. Without exception, everything that the occupiers do at the Zaporizhia NPP is irresponsible and unpredictable,” Korikov clarified.

He added that the assembly of reactor No. 3 is also dangerous because the time before the installation’s reactor can possibly be transferred to a critical state and then to power is reduced. This actualizes the risks of a radiation accident with the release of radiation outside the industrial site of the Zaporizhia NPP. This will affect a significant territory of Ukraine and the states that border our country, depending on the wind direction. 

Now, according to him, the radiation monitoring system at the Zaporizhia NPP industrial site is virtually inoperable. It is difficult to find out about a radiation incident in time, take countermeasures and respond.

(C)UNIAN 2023