The creator of the Zaporizhzhya NPP weighed the possibility of a catastrophe

The fact that the armed forces of Ukraine are methodically shelling the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, increasing the intensity of strikes, is mentioned in almost every news report. The territory of Europe’s largest ZNPP is being hit from drones, from American howitzers, and multiple launch rocket systems.

The other day, the head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mizintsev, said: there is every reason to believe that the Ukrainian side is preparing new large-scale provocations in the area of ​​the Kakhovka reservoir, near which there is a specially protected facility. Apparently, guessing about this, representatives of the IAEA will not reach the station in any way …

Believing that the Russian side intends to withdraw the plant from the unified system of Ukraine, reconnecting it to the Russian system and creating a single energy ring in the south of Ukraine and Donbass, the Ukrainian authorities seek to “cut down” the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on the principle of “don’t get you to anyone”, creating enormous risks for throughout Europe.

Until recently, the Ukrainian military carried out explosions on the territory of the Zaporozhye power plant, hit a few meters from the reactor cooling tank, as a result of which 11 employees were injured …

About the most terrible scenario, similar to the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant or Fukushima, my interlocutor, the creator of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, says unequivocally: “It will not happen. Such options are not possible at our Zaporozhye station.”

“We know everything that happens there,” the scientist says. – Zaporozhye NPP is one of six modern nuclear power plants of the third generation, which is made with a very deep defense in depth. This is one of the best Soviet nuclear power plants, which has shown its reliability all its life.

– But the spent fuel is stored right on its territory. It’s dangerous!

– The Ukrainians have been storing it on the territory of the station since Russia stopped taking this fuel from them. There really are about 200 concrete canisters-containers.

If they are hit, there will be contamination of the station site. It’s very bad for the staff. But, as Chernobyl showed, all heavy fractions, dirty fuel “lay down” at once – there is neither gas nor cesium, nothing flies from it. The station also has a lot of security systems: each block has three security channels, which are designed for a complete power outage. These are diesel engines that start up in the event of a power outage to the units.

– Electricity is needed for heat dissipation?

– Yes, diesel engines are switched on already 50 seconds after the external power supply is turned off. Naturally, they also need fuel, but, fortunately, it is there.

– Has there ever been something similar in the history of nuclear power plants?

– This is the first time this has happened. In my opinion, only crazy people can shell a nuclear power plant, especially one belonging to your country…

– Does the staff work there?

– The staff is on site. Now he provides the work of two blocks out of six. Power lines have already been broken – first one, then the second, they were restored …

– Are there Russian specialists there?

– The station works for Ukraine, drives electricity to Ukraine, is under the control of Ukrenergoatom. On the other hand, there are our people there, who, mind you, do not manage the station, but only play the role of consultants. Even from a purely psychological point of view, such work does not bring them much pleasure. Not to mention the risk of injury from an explosion or from hitting a storage facility with dirty fuel.

– Some experts argue that in the absence of power supply and backup diesel engines, the heat output from the units will stop and a situation will arise similar to the one that happened at Fukushima, where the emergency cooling system failed and subsequent explosions.

– In addition to generators, electricity at the Zaporozhye station, there are many additional things to avoid such situations.

– At Fukushima, it turns out, there were no additional safety systems?

– Fukushima has completely different blocks. There are boiling water reactors of the 1965 project … In addition, the Japanese have invested almost nothing in all subsequent years in the safety of the reactor. All this is recorded in the documents of the IAEA.

Zaporozhye NPP compared to Fukushima is a Western car compared to Zaporozhets. I repeat to you once again: there will be no problem with heat dissipation at the Zaporozhye station. In the most extreme case, you can fit fire trucks with direct water supply to the circuit. By the way, at Fukushima, water was supplied from a half-kilometer distance, which was a mistake.

– They were afraid of high radiation …

– Drivers could drive up in cars, open the valves of hoses with water, and themselves run back to a safe distance. But there was nothing of the kind planned in advance. What can not be said about our Russian modern stations of the “3 plus” generation.

The newest ones can work for 72 hours offline, without an operator. Blocks of the Zaporozhye NPP of the previous generation – 24 hours. And this is with a complete blackout, with the failure of all diesel generators, and even with a complete rupture of the main circulation pipeline!

The probability that all this will happen at a single station is 10 to the minus 11th power. For comparison, the probability of a meteorite hitting a head in an open field is 10 to the minus 6th power. That is, even under the most incredible scenario, our Zaporozhye station will work properly for a day.

– Until recently, the Ukrainian army has been hitting the station gates, the surrounding villages, and Energodar itself. And what if it hits the nuclear power plants?

– Even if this happens, concrete caps will save the blocks – they have them like pillboxes. I know that my child can withstand a lot of things. 70% of the construction cost of the nuclear power plant was laid down for safety. We also have a hydrogen safety system and a “trap” of the core, which will protect against melting in the most dangerous scenario, all options have been sorted out – earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist attacks …

What is actually happening right now…

– Yes unfortunately. No one could have thought that someone would have the desire to shoot at a nuclear power plant. But be calm – there will definitely not be a global catastrophe that will affect all of Europe and Ukraine with Russia.