Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Could Unleash 'Disastrous Chain of Events But Won't Be as Bad as Chernobyl Incident

The risks of nuclear power disaster from Zaporizhzhia will not be as bad as the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, according to a report.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Disaster Risk

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for nearly a year. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

The Russian troops took over the Zaporizhzhia power plant.

A disaster on the scale of Chernobyl — the world's worst nuclear disaster — occurring at Zaporizhzhia is unlikely because the latter is well-designed, Newsweek reported.

It is built to withstand damage. However, there are still concerns because the conflict in the area has continued. Power system expert Victor M. Becerra told Newsweek that there had been repeated shelling since August 2022, and some damaged the buildings inside the complex. According to him, an artillery strike could damage the barriers that keep the radioactive concealed, but the reactor is protected by a foot of steel.

Becerra said the conflict compromises the security of the nuclear material. However, the spent fuel stores are more dangerous than the reactor buildings, which are strong enough to survive shelling.

In the worst case, a direct missile strike on a reactor building could damage the plant's integrity, affects its cooling and emergency system and "lead to a disastrous chain of events," resulting in the release of radioactivity into the environment.

Paul Norman, director of the Birmingham Centre for Nuclear Education and Research and professor of nuclear physics and nuclear energy at the University of Birmingham, said in a meltdown scenario, a reactor would be shut down and generate only 1% of its normal power via "decay heat" or those from radioactive products already built up in the fuel that's why spent fuel is more dangerous to humans.

He added that the overheated fuel would need to meltdown through the reactor's vessel and seep through its walls to pose a risk. He added that the scenario is very different from Chernobyl, with a bad and unstable reactor design causing it to explode internally. Chernobyl also lacked protective layers propelling radioactive plums upwards.

Norman likened the potential risk to the 2011 nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan.

Rafael Grossi, head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, agreed that Zaporizhzhia is unlikely to repeat the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. However, the previous incident is also a reminder of why it is important to establish a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

What is Fukushima Disaster?

On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by the Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake. It was followed by a tsunami resulting in waves reaching over 10 meters. The incident resulted in widespread devastation and casualties, according to International Atomic Energy Agency.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is located in the town of Okuma in Fukushima Prefecture. When the nuclear plant detected the earthquake, it automatically shut down the nuclear reactors.

The emergency diesel generator turned to keep the coolant pumping around the cores. However, when a 14-meter wave hit Fukushima, the plant was flooded, and the emergency generators were knocked down.

While the workers tried to restore power, the nuclear fuel in three reactors overheated, partly melting the cores - known as a nuclear meltdown, BBC reported.

Chemical explosions followed, damaging the buildings nearby. Radioactive material leaked into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean.

The explosion injured 16 workers, and dozens were exposed to radiation while working to stabilize the plant. Three were reportedly taken to the hospital due to high-level exposure.

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