Battle at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant raises global alarm

Photo by Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukrainian officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency that a fire broke out at the site of the largest nuclear power plant in the country. The safety systems at the nuclear reactor were not affected by the fire. Early morning on March 4th, the IAEA reported that the radiation levels at the plant remained the same.

The agency said the fire started when a projectile hit a training building. Concerns were raised about the vulnerability of the nuclear facilities in Ukraine during Russia's invasion. This is the first time war has broken out in a place that is dependent on nuclear energy. Each of the 15 nuclear power plants in the country faces vulnerabilities, and Ukraine gets over half of its electricity from four of them. Zaporizhzhia has six of those reactor.

I am very concerned about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and what happened during the night. The Director General of the IAEA said in a March 4th press release that firing shells in the area of a nuclear power plant violates the fundamental principle that the physical integrity of nuclear facilities must be maintained and kept safe at all times.

The plant's electrical and cooling systems are vital for preventing a disastrous meltdown, which is the biggest threat the fire could have posed. The reactor needs to be kept cool to prevent fuel from melting. Most of the reactor at Zaporizhzhia have been shut down since Russia invaded Ukraine. The amount of water and energy needed to keep them cool is lowered when they are shut down. According to the IAEA, others are operating at reduced capacity or in low power mode. Every reactor, even those that have been shut down, still needs juice from the grid or some other external power source to run their cooling systems.

An out-of-control fire is one of the biggest threats to a nuclear plant. Control and safety systems at the plant could be knocked out by severing electrical cables.

There are several safety nets that would need to fail if a nuclear power plant went down. Diesel generators or portable water pumps could be used to keep the reactor safe. It will be dependent on how accessible the site is during fighting and fire.

The situation is tense and challenging because of the circumstances, Grossi said at a press conference today. Regulators have not been able to assess all of the operating systems.

The wellbeing of Zaporizhzhia's staff is one of the biggest concerns. The site is still being operated by regular staff even though Russia has control. The ability to focus on the job and their safety are important to the security of the plant. According to the IAEA, two people were injured. Grossi said in a March 2nd press conference that Russia has control of the village where most of the plant employees live. The area around the plant has been the focus of fighting since the beginning of the week.

In order to keep its nuclear facilities safe, Ukraine asked for immediate assistance from the IAEA, as well as pressing NATO to deny access to airspace above nuclear facilities. According to the IAEA and experts who spoke with The Verge, the greatest threats are grid failures and munitions strikes that could compromise fuel inside the reactor or in cooling pools used to store spent materials. The intergovernmental agency said in a March 3 statement that it continues to consult with Ukraine and others on how to provide assistance.

Chernobyl is the site of the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. Russia took control of Chernobyl last week. The state nuclear power company of Ukraine reported on March 3rd that workers there are under psychological pressure and moral exhaustion.

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