Energoatom issued a statement saying that “the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP could have negative consequences for ZNPP, but the situation is under control”
“Due to the explosion, the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir is rapidly decreasing, which is an additional threat to the temporarily occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” the statement said. “Water from the Kakhovka Reservoir is necessary for the station to receive make-up for turbine condensers and ZNPP safety systems. Now the station cooling pond is full: as of 8:00 am, the water level is 16.6 meters, which is enough for the needs of the station.”
“Undoubtedly, ZNPP is a dangerous facility, and any emergency situations increase this danger”
Andrey Ozharovsky, an engineer-physicist, an expert of the Radioactive Waste Safety program, confirmed to The Insider that there is no danger for ZNPP so far.
“Now the station is in shutdown mode, without power generation. The reactors are not on power, which means that water requirements are minimal. This is the first factor that reduces the risk. The second factor is that the reservoir cooler is nevertheless separated from the Kakhovka reservoir by a dam, and if we assume that in a few days or weeks the Kakhovka reservoir will completely descend, there will still be water in the reservoir of the cooler, it may gradually evaporate, go down, but nevertheless less than a day or hours there is no danger.
In the long term, we need to calculate this, look at the dynamics of this cooling reservoir. Very often there are additional sources of recharge streams, small rivers.
Thirdly, there are so-called splash pools. This is an additional cooling system that does not have such huge water requirements. This is actually a closed water cooling system. It is quite possible that this system can provide for the removal of residual cooling from a shutdown nuclear power plant.
And fourth, the Dnieper itself has not disappeared. In theory, a line could be laid with pumps that could pump water up into the cooler pond if required.” I looked at the comments that are in various media, some say "horror-horror", some say "no threat." I don't agree with either one. Of course, ZNPP is a dangerous facility, and any emergency situations increase this danger, but right now I don’t see an immediate threat.