<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/06/unsafe-for-russia-to-restart-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-energoatom-says>
"It would be unsafe for Russia to restart the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear
plant and would take Ukraine up to two years in peacetime if it regained
control, the chief executive of the company that runs the vast six-reactor site
has said.
Petro Kotin, chief executive of Energoatom, said in an interview there were
“major problems” to overcome – including insufficient cooling water, personnel
and incoming electricity supply – before it could start generating power again
safely.
The future of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear reactor, is a
significant aspect of any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Seized by
Russia in spring 2022 and shut down for safety reasons a few months later, it
remains on the frontline of the conflict, close to the Dnipro River.
Russia has said it intends to retain the site and switch it back on, without
being specific as to when. Alexey Likhachev, head of Russian nuclear operator
Rosatom, said in February it would be restarted when “military and political
conditions allow”.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has expressed an interest in taking control of it,
though this possibility is considered very remote.
Kotin said Energoatom was prepared to restart the plant but it would require
Russian forces to be removed and the site to be de-mined and demilitarised.
He said such a restart by Ukraine would take anywhere “from two months to two
years” in an environment “without any threats from militaries”, while a Russian
restart during wartime “would be impossible, even for one unit [reactor]”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
