Encore to Chornobyl Coming? 

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.