Nuclear power Ukraine: what would happen if Zaporizhzhia was hit

The document examines the critical safety risks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, highlighting the dangers of power failures, cooling system instability, and military attacks. It details how the loss of electricity could lead to core meltdowns similar to Fukushima and Chernobyl, and analyzes the catastrophic potential of a nuclear weapon strike on the site. The paper also notes the continued reliance of the US and France on Russian nuclear fuel despite the conflict.

• The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) faces critical risks due to repeated failures of electricity supplies necessary for cooling pumps, low water levels in cooling ponds, and extreme stress on the Ukrainian workforce. Since August 2022, the IAEA has recorded eight instances of complete power failure at the plant.
• A total cooling failure at the ZNPP could lead to a catastrophic sequence: hydrogen explosions would occur within 8 to 12 hours, and the reactor core could burn through the base of the reactor vessel after approximately two days, potentially resulting in a runaway core meltdown.
• The breach of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023 removed a layer of protection for the ZNPP by making the refilling of cooling ponds more difficult, as the reservoir behind the dam was a key source of cooling water.
• A tactical nuclear strike of 10 kilotonnes (kT) on the ZNPP would breach core containment and spread radioactive materials, creating a 1km radius zone of major destruction and potentially delivering lethal radiation doses up to 60km downwind, which could include the city of Zaporizhzhia.
• A study by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) suggests that a 20% core release of radioactive caesium from one ZNPP reactor could create exclusion zones in eastern Ukraine and necessitate agricultural restrictions across Western Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean.
• Despite the invasion of Ukraine, Russian nuclear exports grew from $1.6 billion in 2021 to $3.1 billion by 2023, with significant increases in imports of Russian nuclear materials by the US (rising from $650 million in 2022 to $900 million in 2023) and France ($324 million in Russian nuclear technology).
• As of April 2024, all six reactors at the ZNPP are in 'cold' shutdown, which reduces the immediate risk as core radioactivity is at its lowest level, although they still require continuous cooling.

APA

Webber, P. (2022). Nuclear power Ukraine: what would happen if Zaporizhzhia was hit. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/nuclear-power-ukraine-what-would-happen-if-zaporizhzhia-was-hit

Chicago

Webber, Philip. Nuclear power Ukraine: what would happen if Zaporizhzhia was hit. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2022. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/nuclear-power-ukraine-what-would-happen-if-zaporizhzhia-was-hit.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Webber |first1=Philip |title=Nuclear power Ukraine: what would happen if Zaporizhzhia was hit |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=15 December 2022 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/nuclear-power-ukraine-what-would-happen-if-zaporizhzhia-was-hit |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{webber2022nuclear, author = {Webber, Philip}, title = {{Nuclear power Ukraine: what would happen if Zaporizhzhia was hit}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/nuclear-power-ukraine-what-would-happen-if-zaporizhzhia-was-hit}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }