The destruction of the Khakovka Dam in Ukraine gives rise to concerns about the supply of cooling water for the nuclear reactors at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Plant. The Dnieper supplies the plant with its water supply. But that supply is now two metres lower than it was before the dam was blown up.
The UN Atomic Watchdog wants wider access to the plant as there are discrepancies in reports about available water. Rafael Gossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was due to visit the plant today. But that has been delayed because of fighting in the Russian-held Zaporizhia area.
All this has reminded us of a conversation we had last December with Bill Ramsay, of Scottish CND, about war zones and what Bill called ‘nuclear castles’. The Ukraine conflict highlights the relatively new dangers arising out of nuclear power plants operating in war zones.
It’s a thought-provoking and timely topic and well worth having a listen if you missed it.
