Connect with us
X
Categories:

News

The biggest nuclear plant in Europe shut down for safety reasons

Published

on

The biggest nuclear plant in Europe shut down for safety reasons
Share this post:

A huge Ukrainian nuclear plant held by Putin’s invaders has been shut down after a ‘complete blackout’ sparked heightened fears of a radiation disaster.

Operations at Zaporizhzhia were ‘completely stopped’ shortly before 4am on Sunday, according to Ukrainian engineers who have been allowed to manage it under Russian control.

It followed a heroic 48-hour scramble to restore the site’s power supply against what was described as ‘low’ odds by international nuclear watchdogs stationed there.

Shelling around the plant on Friday cut the plant off from the power grid and ‘compromised the safe operation’ of the plant, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Together with ‘inadequate’ staffing levels due to the war, this ‘significantly increased the risk of a nuclear accident’, the agency’s chief Rafael Grossi warned, calling the situation ‘completely unacceptable’.

Starving working nuclear reactors of electricity risks the failure of their power-hungry coolers and other nuclear safety features.

This was one of the factors behind the 2011 meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima plant, when an earthquake forced it to start drawing power from diesel generators which were then flooded by a tsunami.

Five of the six reactors at Zaporizhzhia had previously been switched off, while the sixth while the sixth continued in ‘island mode’ – producing enough electricity for cooling and safety mechanisms.

Months of shelling gradually severed the plant’s main power lines, leaving just one left at the start of September.

But it was knocked out by a nearby fire on Monday, according to UN experts stationed at the plant, and was said to have been completely severed by a fresh round of artillery fire by Friday.

Officials said this left the final reactor ‘operating at a very low power level’ using generators, which the plant reportedly has enough diesel to fuel for just 10 days.

Reacting to the development, Mr Grossi said there was ‘now a low chance that reliable off-site power can be restored’.

But Ukrainian engineers working for nearly two days straight managed to restore a communication line to the plant’s power system, giving it just enough energy for them to initiate the shutdown.

Energoatom, the state agency in charge of Ukraine’s nuclear energy network, said on Telegram: ‘A decision was made to shut down power unit No 6 and transfer it to the safest state – cold shutdown.’

Mr Grossi has called for ‘the immediate cessation of all shelling in the entire area’ saying the ‘completely unacceptable’ and ‘cannot stand’.

Ukraine’s president Zelensky said on Monday that the threat of Russia’s occupation of Zaporizhzhia’s six nuclear reactors was akin to ‘six Chernobyls’.

Experts have downplayed concerns that an accident at the plant could cause a repeat of the 1986 disaster, which spread often devastating levels of radiation throughout Eastern Europe.

The European Nuclear Society said last month that such an incident ‘would mostly affect Ukrainians that live nearby’.

However the ‘worst-case scenario’ would be similar in ferocity to Fukushima, where radiation forced the permanent evacuation of 110,000 people and caused one death.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have continued to make significant gains in the region of Kharkiv over the weekend, routing thousands of Putin’s troops.

Russia’s defence ministry admitted it had retreated from the key military strongholds of Izyum and Kupiansk and withdrawn from a third town Balakliya, claiming it wanted to ‘bolster efforts’ in areas held by Putin-backed separatists.

Western intelligence agencies said they had been forced into a major withdrawal by fierce Ukrainian counterattacks.

‘Russian forces were likely taken by surprise. The sector was only lightly held and Ukrainian units have captured or surrounded several towns,’ the MoD said.

Officials added that Russian forces continued to fight around the towns but were becoming ‘increasingly isolated’ and are likely to soon be cut off from supplies.

President Zelensky said on Sunday an overall counteroffensive in the region has liberated around 700 square miles of territory in the last 11 days.

US military analysts suggest he may have been giving a conservative figure, with Washington’s estimates pointing to more than 965 square miles of recaptured land.


Get More Stories Like This On: Facebook: @AllNaijaEntertainment, Twitter: @AllNaijaEntertainment
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Expanding Living Space
Lifestyle2 months ago

Expanding Living Space: Prefabricated Workshop Building Kits for Extra Rooms

BeBe Winans
Lyrics2 months ago

BeBe Winans – It All Comes Down to Love [Lyrics]

BeBe Winans
Music2 months ago

[Music] BeBe Winans – It All Comes Down to Love

The Countdown Begins to the Tournament That Has It All
ANE Football Analytical3 months ago

AFCON 2023: A Sporting Spectacle Set to Captivate the World

Litecoin: What Makes It The Crypto Winner?
Technology3 months ago

Runny Inflation Can Drive Cryptocurrency Adoption

Black and White French Bulldog puppies Frenchie Joy
Lifestyle4 months ago

Black and White French Bulldog puppies Frenchie Joy

3 Serious Reasons to Keep Your Teenager Away From Social Media
Lifestyle4 months ago

3 Serious Reasons to Keep Your Teenager Away From Social Media

Boxing vs MMA What Makes Them So Different
Sports5 months ago

Boxing vs MMA: What Makes Them So Different

Roisea: Most Advanced Crypto Trading Platform for Bitcoin
Technology5 months ago

NFTs and Intellectual Property Rights: Shaping Creative Ownership

The Birth of a Rugby Nation South Africas Love Affair with the Sport
Sports9 months ago

The Birth of a Rugby Nation: South Africa’s Love Affair with the Sport

A Beginner's Guide to Radicle (RAD): The Future of Peer-to-Peer Development
Technology10 months ago

A Beginner’s Guide to Radicle (RAD): The Future of Peer-to-Peer Development

Analysis of Nigeria's Renewable Energy Sector: Opportunities and Challenges
Technology11 months ago

Analysis of Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

Casino Gaming Poker
Sports11 months ago

What Are The Various Types Of Online Slots?

Luka Modric celebrates after scoring Real Madrid's second goal against Celta Vigo.
Sports1 year ago

Luka Modric set to join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr

WHO World Health Organization
Health1 year ago

WHO debunks claims that tuberculosis is caused by witchcraft, poison

Atiku Abubakar
News1 year ago

2023 Election: Why DSS must arrest Fani-Kayode – Atiku

PDP Logo Umbrella
News1 year ago

PDP suspends National Chairman

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Final Episode 13)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 12)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 11)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 10)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 09)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 08)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 07)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 06)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 05)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 04)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 03)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 02)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 01)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Complete Episodes)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 16)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 15)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 14)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 13)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 12)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 11)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 10)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 09)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 08)

ANE Billboard Hots