OdCNP Nuclear Security Monthly Update: November Report
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- Published: Friday, 02 December 2022 09:39
The Odesa Center for Nonproliferation is excited to release the "OdCNP Nuclear Security November Report" by Ali Alkis.
NUCLEAR SECURITY
The Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia has become increasingly disturbing in November, as stories continue to surface detailing the mistreatment of nuclear operators in Ukraine by Russian troops. This, together with ongoing attacks on Zaporizhzhia and threats to vital parts of Ukraine's nuclear infrastructure, highlights the urgent need for a more robust international nuclear security regulation. With Poland beginning its first nuclear energy project and nuclear power becoming more available throughout the world, the international community must act to prohibit armed attacks against nuclear facilities.
A soldier wearing a Russian flag on his uniform stands guard near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Source REUTERS
According to information provided by IAEA team of experts on the site, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has once again lost access to external power supply due to constant shelling and is depending on its emergency diesel generators for its requirements for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions.
On November 23, Ukraine's national operator Energoatom stated that "due to a fall in the frequency in Ukraine's power system at the Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyy nuclear power plants, emergency protection functioned, and all power units were immediately disconnected." They are now in the design phase, with no generation into the power grid." It further said that the radiation levels at the NPP locations are normal.
The new incident at the ZNPP underscores the increasingly perilous and difficult nuclear safety and security situation at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, occurring only days after it was repeatedly bombarded. Several times during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ZNPP has been disconnected from the national grid, most notably in early November, when it took two days to reconnect external power supplies.
Following reports of broad military activity targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the team of IAEA experts present at the ZNPP claimed it lost off-site power around 3:30 pm local time today when it was totally disconnected from the grid.
The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) arrives at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, comprising IAEA nuclear safety, security, and safeguards staff. Source IAEA
Initially, all of the facility's 20 diesel generators began automatically, and eight of them were giving the site with backup power for all safety-related equipment. The remaining 12 diesel generators were on standby. The IAEA team also reported that the operating staff at the facility were following all protocols for a loss of external power supply and that the six reactors were safe and stable. The two reactors that have been in a hot shutdown mode to supply steam and heating to the facility and the surrounding town of Enerhodar will be prepared for cooling. The other four are still in cold shutdown.
One of the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict is the requirement for a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear installations. Reactors require power for cooling and other critical nuclear safety and security activities even after they are shut down and no longer produce energy. In the event of an external power outage, they have backup diesel generators that can provide electricity for a short time, at least 10 days in the case of the ZNPP.
Furthermore, Director General Grossi met with a Russian delegation led by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev in Istanbul for discussions on operational aspects of safety at the ZNPP, as well as the urgent need to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant.
Following a full loss of off-site electricity, Ukraine's four operating nuclear power plant facilities have been reconnected to the national grid in the following days. A day after it was cut, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts stationed at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) announced that the facility's external power connection had been re-established. The ZNPP, Europe's largest nuclear power station, is in shutdown mode but requires electricity to keep vital safety and security operations running. Ukraine also informed the IAEA that the three other nuclear power facilities, located in Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyy, had been reconnected to the grid and were producing electricity for the country's requirements. It further stated that power had been restored to the Chornobyl site.
Khmelnitskiy Nuclear Power Plant Source REUTERS
In addition, the IAEA had concluded a week-long nuclear safety and security expert visit to Chornobyl, including the Exclusion Zone, established around the facility following the 1986 tragedy. The mission will help pave the ground for enhancements and improvements to the nuclear security systems at the facility. The IAEA experts also obtained a better grasp of the plant's safety and security requirements and gave radiation monitoring advice and assistance.
On Ukraine's request, the IAEA indicated earlier this month that it will soon deploy similar teams to Chornobyl, as well as Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyy. According to Director General Grossi, the operation to South Ukraine will take place next week.