After the dam was destroyed: is there a threat of a super meltdown at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant?

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Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region overnight, according to the Ukrainian military. The region is threatened by massive flooding.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located directly on the Kakhovka reservoir. What is happening at the nuclear power plant now? Blick answers the most important questions.

«On the night of June 6, 2023, the Russian invaders blew up the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. As a result of the explosion, the water level in the Kakhov reservoir is falling rapidly, posing an additional threat to the temporarily occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” Ukraine’s state-owned Energoatom wrote in a Telegram message on Tuesday morning. Ukrainian nuclear experts say the water is out the reservoir is needed to supply the station with electricity for the turbine condensers and safety systems of the nuclear power plant.

The cooling basin of the nuclear power plant was now full. “At 8 a.m., the water level is at 16.6 meters, which is sufficient for the needs of the station.”

Monitor the situation and monitor the actions of the workers at the nuclear plant along with other international organizations present at the plant, especially the IAEA. The Ukrainian side also said that the risk of a nuclear catastrophe after damage to a dam increases rapidly. This is reported by the AFP news agency.

According to the Russian-appointed administrative representative in Zaporizhchkja, there is no immediate danger to the nuclear power plant. This is reported by the Russian state news agency Tass.

The International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA is aware of the tense situation following the destruction of the dam. “IAEA experts from the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant are closely monitoring the situation,” the organization tweeted. However, there is “no direct risk to nuclear safety at the nuclear power plant”.

A large tidal wave can have fatal consequences. An interruption of the water supply in southern Ukraine would also affect the cooling system of the nuclear power plant – in extreme cases there would be a risk of a nuclear accident. The Kachowka hydroelectric power plant supplies the plant with water.

The IAEA reported last week that the facility has been without external emergency power for three months now. That makes the nuclear power plant extremely vulnerable in case the only functioning main power line fails again, according to a statement from the IAEA.

Since the occupation of the largest European nuclear power plant by the Russians in March 2022, the power supply to the power plant has failed several times. The cooling is then provided by the existing diesel generators. In the most recent incident, the fuel was said to be enough for ten days. Before the war, the power plant had four external power lines, according to the IAEA.

Source: Blick