• Українська
  • Русский
  • English
Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Encore to Chornobyl Coming? 

1 December, 1998 - 00:00

By Vitaly KNIAZHANSKY, The Day

The week before last Ukraine's nuclear safety was precariously under
the shadow a new Chornobyl.

The automatic unit discharge system was blocked and switched off at
the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and a manual control regime was
introduced, because the current's frequency was dropping to the critical
level.

Many experts say the similar actions caused the Chornobyl disaster.
Chairman of the parliamentary subcommittee for nuclear policy and nuclear
safety Oleksandr Hudyma informed The Day of this dangerous incident.
According to him, the nuclear safety of Ukraine, Europe and of the whole
world is held hostage to the situation in the energy sector. Hudyma also
said that Ukrainian nuclear power stations, which produce over 40% of the
energy Ukraine needs, unlike the hydroelectric stations, have sufficient
fuel and their work is stable. The financial crisis has considerably reduced
the heat power capacity of the country, led to critical current frequency
drops, consumer shutoffs, and emergency situations at power stations.

Even a single safety system shutdown at a nuclear station creates an
emergency. And such incidents have been taking place almost everyday during
the last two weeks. Emergencies have become normal for Ukraine, and this
is a warning sign concerning the level of nuclear safety, Hudyma believes.
He also considers that the National Security and Defense Council, the Ministry
of Power Engineering, administration of the nuclear regulation along with
other governmental organs should be dealing with the problem.

He also noted that collapse of the whole Ukrainian energy system is
possible because of a frequency drop. This could cause enormous losses
to our economy. The united energy system could also split into separate
regional systems, which would then be difficult to reintegrate.

COMMENTARY

Executive Director of Enerhoatom, the nationwide nuclear power monopoly,
Viktor STOVBUN confirmed that the automatic control system, which
reacts to frequency drops was switched off for two days in the Zaporizhzhia
nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhia. The workload of the power units
dropped to 2% of capacity. According to him, "it is not dangerous for the
reactor unit, it is dangerous for the turbine equipment." He believes working
with reduced frequency is very dangerous for the nuclear energy sector.
All the regulators begin to vibrate. In the two days when the automatic
control system was switched off and the workload was reduced, Ukraine stood
on the verge of catastrophe.

Deputy Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Administration Vadym HRYSHCHENKO
told The Day that the state nuclear safety inspection authorities
reacted to the incident in Zaporizhzhia by issuing an order to stop such
actions. According to Hryshchenko, they are without a doubt threatening
nuclear safety, because the electronic safety system used at the atomic
power station could malfunction.

Former Chornobyl plant director and the manager of the Twenty-First
Century Energy and Information Sciences Center Serhiy PARASHYN declined
comment. He did say, however, that all kinds of violations are possible
because Enerhoatom has no operating license. According to him, the danger
is exacerbated by the fact that nuclear power station directors have been
brought down to the status of shop foremen, which could foster their making
irresponsible decisions.

Rubric: