POWER December 2022 - 5

SPEAKING OF POWER
War and Nuclear Power:
Stakes Are High for People,
Environment, and Industry
Aaron Larson
J
ohn Stevens Cabot Abbott, the 19th
century American historian perhaps
best known for writing History of
Napoleon Bonaparte and History of the
Civil War in America, is attributed with
the quote, " War is the science of destruction. "
In truth, however, I don't think
most combatants really think about science
when going into battle; they have
enough on their minds just trying to stay
out of harm's way. Nonetheless, there
are many consequences, some that
could require serious science to solve,
that can result from the actions soldiers
take during wartime.
The war in Ukraine has brought to light
a few of the more significant risks associated
with war in a modern world powered
by nuclear energy. Ukraine is heavily
dependent on nuclear power for its supply
of electricity. The country is home to
15 reactors, which have provided more
than half of Ukraine's electricity in recent
years. Among the nuclear power
stations is the six-unit Zaporizhzhya facility,
Europe's largest nuclear power plant
(NPP) with a total capacity of 6 GW. It is
located in the " steppe zone " of Ukraine,
a natural grassland plain in the southern
part of the country.
Russian Troops Occupy Ukrainian
Nuclear Site
Russian troops took control of the Zaporizhzhya
NPP during the first week
of March. International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael
Mario Grossi reported on March 4 that in
the conflict leading up to the takeover, a
projectile had hit a training/construction
building within the plant site, causing a
fire, which was extinguished by the local
fire brigade at the power station. While
none of the safety systems for the six
reactors were affected and there was
no release of radioactive material, the
incident was significant in that it demonstrated
the vulnerability both of the staff
and the plant.
At the time, Grossi outlined " seven indispensable
pillars for ensuring nuclear safety
and security. " He noted the following:
December 2022 | POWER
■ The physical integrity of the facilities-
whether it is the reactors, fuel ponds,
or radioactive waste stores-must be
maintained.
■ All safety and security systems and
equipment must be fully functional at
all times.
■ The operating staff must be able to
fulfil their safety and security duties,
and have the capacity to make decisions
free of undue pressure.
■ There must be secure off-site power
supply from the grid for all nuclear
sites.
■ There must be uninterrupted logistical
supply chains, and transportation to
and from the sites.
■ There must be effective on-site and
off-site radiation monitoring systems,
and emergency preparedness and response
measures.
■ There must be reliable communications
with the regulator and others.
It's obviously easy for everyone to
agree to maintain these pillars during
peacetime, but during a war, the lines
can be blurred. It's understandable why
the Russians, for example, might want
to take the plant down, putting a crimp
on the Ukrainian power grid. With some
thought, and perhaps a little science,
they could do so without jeopardizing the
plant or the environment. But as I said
in the beginning, soldiers don't always
think about things like that. Furthermore,
many of the troops on the ground may
not have a complete understanding of
how a nuclear reactor works or what it
needs to remain safe, which presents
significant risk to everyone involved.
Continued Occupation
Since the Russians first took control of
the Zaporizhzhya site, there have been
several incidents that breached the pillars
outlined by Grossi. Among the areas
of concern identified by the director
general in later briefings were the presence
of representatives of the Russian
Federation's state atomic energy corporation
Rosatom and the interference
those senior technical staff members
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could have on the normal lines of operational
command or authority. He
suggested this could lead to potential
friction in terms of decision-making. Energoatom,
for its part, suggested there
was a significant negative effect on morale
and the emotional state of plant
workers after the Russian military forces
seized the site. Meanwhile, communication
between the site and Ukraine's
regulator presented another broken pillar,
as it was reported that many lines
of communication were either not functioning
or unreliable.
Yet, perhaps the most serious infringement
on the IAEA pillars during the Russian
occupation has been the multiple
times off-site power has been lost at the
plant. The site is equipped with 20 emergency
diesel generators that can provide
the required power for safe operation of
the reactors and the ability to bring them
to cold shutdown should off-site power
be lost, but the loss of off-site power
violates defense-in-depth principles and
adds significant risk to plant operations.
Russia, of all countries, should have a
firm understanding of the importance of
safety in the nuclear power industry. It
has 37 reactors in operation with a total
net capacity of about 27.7 GW and three
more units under construction. Russia
also has significant interest in exporting
its nuclear goods and services around
the world.
Today, Rosatom claims to be in " first
place in terms of the number of simultaneously
implemented nuclear reactor
construction projects " with its three
units in Russia and 34 abroad at various
stages of implementation. In 2021,
Rosatom's package of foreign orders
exceeded $139.9 billion, according to
the company. It doesn't take a scientist
to conclude that NPP projects would be
seriously stalled by a nuclear incident in
Ukraine. While I don't really care if Russia
ever sells another reactor abroad, it's still
in everyone's best interest to maintain
plant safety at Zaporizhzhya and prevent
a nuclear catastrophe. ■
-Aaron Larson is POWER's
executive editor.
5
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POWER December 2022

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