'Extreme concern': UN's nuclear power watchdog warns of growing ... - The Irish Times
‘Extreme concern’: UN’s nuclear power watchdog warns of growing danger around Zaporizhzhia plant - The Irish Times
The head of the UN’s nuclear power watchdog has warned that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become “potentially dangerous” as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called for measures to ensure the safe operation of Europe's largest nuclear plant as evacuations were under way in the nearby town of Enerhodar.
“The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous,” Mr Grossi said on the agency’s website.
“I'm extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment.”
Mr Grossi said that while the operating staff of the plant remain at the site, the conditions for the personnel and their families are “increasingly tense.”
[ Ukraine calls for end of Russian control of Zaporizhzhia plant to avoid disaster like Chernobyl]
[ Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: Everything you need to know]
The Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line as shelling had intensified in the area in recent days.
A widely expected Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against Russian forces is viewed as likely to take in the Zaporizhzhia region, around 80 per cent of which is held by Moscow.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Sunday that the residents are being evacuated in the direction of Berdiansk and Prymorsk on the coast of the Sea of Azov.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant days after president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of his neighbour in February 2022. Exchanges of fire have frequently occurred near the facility, with each side blaming the other.
Mr Grossi last visited the Zaporizhzhia station, Europe’s largest nuclear power installation, in March, as part of efforts to speak to both sides to secure an agreement on safeguards to ensure the plant’s safe operation.
He has repeatedly warned of the dangers of military operations around the plant.
The plant is located in the part of that region under Russian control, with many of the staff operating it living in Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnipro river. — Reuters
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.