Violating operation requirements for ZNPP unit 5 may lead to accident, large-scale radiation release - Energoatom

Violation of the basic requirements for the operation of Zaporizhzhia NPP unit 5, in particular, the Russians' refusal to put it into a "cold shutdown" state, could lead to an accident.

Energoatom reported this on Telegram, Ukrinform says.

Energoatom emphasizes that power unit No. 5 of ZNPP was commissioned over 34 years ago. Therefore, to maintain the safe operation of the units, timely and high-quality maintenance and repair of equipment must be carried out, without which operation becomes dangerous.

Instead, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the power unit has been operating at power levels. Since September 2022, the occupation "administration" of the station has been maintaining its operation in a "hot shutdown" state.

The company notes that Russian invaders have been deliberately violating basic requirements for the power unit’s operation for over a year, including ignoring the planned maintenance schedule for safety systems, sabotaging repairs of reactor equipment, the turbine compartment, and power unit control systems.

In addition, some of the equipment that is subject to immediate replacement has reached the end of its service life. This is about over 1,000 units of thermal and mechanical equipment and over 100 units of electrical equipment.

"These violations by Russian invaders have serious consequences and increase the risk of system failures that can lead to an emergency. In this case, European countries may be exposed to radiation," the company notes.

Energoatom, pursuant to the decision of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), has repeatedly called for ZNPP unit 5 to be switched to a safer mode, i.e., "cold shutdown". Last week, SNRIU sent a letter to IAEA calling for aid in complying with the order. However, despite the involvement of an international organization in the process, all efforts have failed.

As reported, Russians are going to put ZNPP’s power unit No. 4 into a "hot shutdown" state. At the same time, they deliberately do not comply with SNRIU’s decision and do not put power unit No. 5 into a "cold shutdown" state. Consequently, if two power units are operating in the "hot shutdown" state, there is a real threat of an emergency at the plant.