The escalation of the military confrontation between the Russian and Ukrainian army near the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, represents a serious threat to the military situation, and represents a pivotal moment in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and with the sad memories of Chernobyl, the most important question remains, what is the probability of a nuclear disaster?
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, described the recent bombing of Europe's largest nuclear plant as "out of control" and "extremely dangerous". Grossi stressed that the violence there amid the war in Ukraine "highlights the real danger of a nuclear catastrophe". While Russia and Ukraine blame each other, accusing the other of "nuclear terrorism", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the site in an attempt to calm tensions. Meanwhile, experts warn that falling into the midst of a conflict could lead to a nuclear accident similar to the one that occurred in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011.
What is the risk of a nuclear disaster?
The reactor is the heart of any nuclear power plant, in which controlled nuclear reactions generate enough heat to turn water into steam, which is then used to generate power. There are two types, boiling water reactors, and pressurized water reactors. In Zaporizhia, pressurized water is used, which is safer than its predecessors used at the Chernobyl site, where the 1986 disaster led to a huge radioactive leak and dozens of direct and indirect deaths. "After Chernobyl, there have been a lot of lessons to be learned," Professor Claire Corkhill, chair of the Department of Nuclear Material Degradation at the University of Sheffield, told Sky News. She added, "Among the most important was the necessity of containing the reactors in very solid buildings, so they are now built in huge reinforced concrete containers."
The reactors also feature built-in fire defencers, and in the event of a power outage, they have diesel-powered backup generators that last about three days.
Danger of "radioactive water"
In short, other infrastructure is still at risk. Once the radioactive fuel inside the reactor is used up at full capacity, it is subsequently placed in a large cooling pool for about two years before being transported to a dry storage facility. According to the Ukrainian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, previous strikes destroyed three radiation monitoring devices at a spent fuel storage facility. “A missile strike on the cooling pond building is of concern because the water is highly radioactive and a leak could spread radioactivity into the local area,” says Professor Corkhill. "A blow to the dry barrel bunker is less worrisome, because the nuclear fuel is well protected by thick metal and concrete containers.
Professor Corkhill asserts that "the more missiles fired at a nuclear power plant, the greater the risk of a catastrophic nuclear accident."
... Experts say health concern exists.