The reactor halls are locked. The IAEA has new restrictions on the Zaporozhye NPP, which hides the Russian Federation
For the first time during the Great War, Russian invaders were banned from experts in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to check the reactor halls of the three power units of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZPP) in Energodar. Observers cannot get into objects for two weeks. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation also limited access to some machine halls, including the premises of the third, fourth and sixth reactors last week.
IAEA experts still expect access to the roofs of the reactors, but they are denied "safety reasons". Zaporizhzhya NPP is in the war zone. The IAEA team has heard regular explosions in recent weeks. Electricity is often switched off, which is why the safety situation at the largest NPP in Europe is deteriorating. Constant power supply is required to cool reactors and other important functions. The fourth unit is in a hot stop, producing steam and hot water for heating energy.
Five of the six reactors are in a cold stop, low -temperature low temperature and pressure of water that cools it. During this period, the nuclear reactor does not generate electricity. Frequent and uncontrolled switching from the cold to the hot stop caused the steam generators in the fourth, fifth and sixth units of the flow of coolant, says the head of the Department of Nuclear Energy Department of the Institute of Security of Nuclear Power Plants of the NAS of Ukraine Volodymyr Borisenko.
"Maybe because of this the Russians and did not let the IAEA specialists. Western experts have their own equipment for checking. In addition to problems with power outages, the inability of the Russians to serve the nuclear power plant is added. Having inspected the safety systems of the sixth unit, Western experts saw the deposits of boric acid on the valves and pumps of equipment, and on the floors in the premises.
The source of leakage was the storage of boric acid, its repair is planned not immediately, but as part of the system maintenance. "Such events require proper and timely attention, investigation and response to prevent more serious consequences," the agency says. In the hot stop of the power units can work for several days, and they have been working for more than a year. Overload affects the chemical composition of water in the coolant, which is made high requirements under the regulations.
If it begins to flow, it is not easy to add a new volume, Vladimir Borisenko emphasizes. Normal maintenance service provides minor repair of valves, switches and oil replacement for grease. Without trained staff, it is impossible to do it all. "At the station we see a critical shortage of workers.
If there were up to a thousand people on each power unit earlier, no more than two thousand people are left on all blocks today," he adds to Olga Kosharna Nuclear Energy and Security expert, atomic equipment The stations are in the degradation stage due to lack of maintenance. The Russians did not overhaul the first, second and fifth units, the average repair of the third, fourth and sixth reactor blocks, as well as pressure compensators, circular pumps and heat exchangers, she notes.
IAEA experts since the summer of last year wanted to access the roofs of the reactor units, but have not been allowed. The expert reminds that the British intelligence Mi-6 has repeatedly reported the equipment of the fire positions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the roofs of power units. "This was stated at the UN Security Council by the UK representative. Therefore there is evidence. The machine halls also do not let the IAE experts.
The cooler pond, the cooling system, the disassembling pools were replaced. People saw wires, they were not allowed to inspect these pools" , - explained the Kashar focus. The occupation leadership of the station systematically seeks the main goal - to attach the NPP to the reserve line of 330 kV, which comes from the Russian power system.