On March 9, local time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that the only power grid at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which supplies power to the plant and all its nuclear facilities, has been damaged. As a result, nuclear power plants have lost all their power supply.
Image: Twitter
"The backup diesel generators can only power the Chernobyl nuclear power plant for 48 hours," Kureba said. After this, the cooling system of the spent nuclear fuel storage facility will be stopped, and radiation leakage is imminent. Calls on the international community to urgently demand a ceasefire in Russia and allow maintenance units to restore power.
In addition, a statement released by Ukrainian power system operator NPC Ukrenergo on social media also pointed out that at 11 a.m. local time on March 9, all facilities of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were cut off. An emergency diesel generator is activated on site to power critical systems. In a trouble-free situation, diesel generators can only run for 48 hours.
The Chernobyl exclusion zone covers an area of about 2,600 square kilometres, and in 1986 there was the worst nuclear accident in history, and the first mega-accident to be rated as the highest level seven incident by the International Nuclear Incident Classification Scale. There is also a nuclear waste facility to store spent nuclear fuel for safe long-term storage.
Spent nuclear fuel refers to used nuclear fuel that has been exposed to radiation and is usually produced by the nuclear reactors of nuclear power plants. This fuel cannot continue to sustain nuclear reactions, but still contains a large number of radioactive elements that, if not properly handled, can seriously affect the environment and the health of those who come into contact with them.
A blackout can cause the temperature of spent nuclear fuel to gradually rise, which in turn will release radiation. About 20,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant are currently unable to maintain cooling due to power outages.
Since Russian troops have been constantly shelling Ukraine, it is now impossible to repair electricity. That is, in a maximum of 48 hours, if the power system is not restored, the Chernobyl nuclear accident will be repeated.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Credit: National Post
Once the radiation leaks, the radiation cloud will be carried by the wind to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other parts of Europe, as will the United States and Canada!
Nuclear radiation clouds are dust or vapors with radioactive particles that can spread very quickly with the monsoon, which is very easy to cause the spread of nuclear radiation pollution.
A cloud of radiation caused by a leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan triggered by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, was detected in the United States and Canada on March 18. Although the radioactive material has been reduced, it is still harmful.
Ukraine, on the other hand, is closer to Canada than Japan.
Image from: Google Map
Once a nuclear accident does occur, it will be difficult for Canada to stand alone. In fact, once a nuclear accident occurs, the whole world will suffer.
In the face of Ukraine's warning, Russia said that the deterioration of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was not true, and that they were only creating panic.
Russian rumor-busting websites: They're just creating panic
According to the latest news from CCTV News, on March 9, local time, the Russian official rumor-busting website "Fighting Fake News" published an article, saying that some media reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the news of the deterioration of the situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was false news, and they were just creating panic.
Pictured from: Xinhua Net
The IAEA reported that the loss of contact with the sensor proved not to be a problem at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but rather to the disruption of the Internet inside Ukraine. The situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is under full control, and the staff is performing their duties normally. On March 7, Russian forces provided them with humanitarian assistance.
On the 9th local time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said that in order to prevent Kiev from launching a nuclear provocation, Russia has taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Zakharova added: "Russia is doing everything in its power to ensure that Ukraine's nuclear facilities are at the level of security they deserve, and the statements made by Kiev officials about Russia's attack on Ukraine's nuclear facilities are lies." ”
International Atomic Energy Agency: No safety issues following a power outage at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
According to the latest tweet from the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, there were no safety issues following the power outage at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
According to the IAEA, "The heat load and cooling water capacity of the spent fuel storage tank at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant are sufficient to dissipate heat efficiently without the need for electricity supply." ”
According to a statement on the official website of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on March 8, local time, IAEA Director General Grossi issued an appeal that the Russian army controlling the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine would allow the staff there to be rotated and rested.
Ukraine's nuclear regulator said about 210 technicians and guards have been given access to food and water and, to some extent, medicines, since Russian troops took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Feb. 24, but have not been able to get a rotation break.
IAEA Director General Grossi said he was deeply concerned about the difficulties and pressures faced by the staff at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the potential risks posed by this to nuclear safety.
Ukraine's nuclear regulator said there are currently 8 reactors in operation in the country, including 2 at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is controlled by the Russian army. At present, the radiation level of these nuclear power plants is normal.