10.04.2020, Kiev.
The disastrous situation in Ukraine’s nuclear energy industry can end up as “another Chernobyl,” revealed the Union of Veterans of Atomic Energy and Industry of Ukraine in an open letter to the President and the Government of Ukraine, wrote the former Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) MP Alexey Zhuravko on his Facebook page on April 9.
An open letter points at a disastrous situation which is taking place in Ukraine when no one is responsible for anything due to the lack of permanent managers who would have appropriate approvals from the nuclear regulatory authority at Energoatom, the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine (NNEGC Energoatom) responsible for operating all Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
“The controlled liberalization (disorganization) of the so-called energy market has led to non-payments for electricity generated. The NNEGC Energoatom is experiencing a shortage of funds necessary for the safe operation and procurement of nuclear fuel, which is growing rapidly, ” says the letter.
The next question is whether the government and the president of Ukraine understand what the emergency shutdown of power units can lead to. The Union of Veterans demands to stop the robbery of the NNEGC Energoatom, as well as intrigues surrounding the country’s nuclear energy industry.
An open letter was signed by a number of experts and honored industry workers, such as the former director of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Vladimir Bronnikov, the former chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the deputy chairman of the USSR Gosatomnadzor Nikolay Shteinberg and others.
It should be mentioned that in 2008, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed an agreement with the US firm Westinghouse to supply the fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants. However, Ukrainian nuclear power plants built during the Soviet era do not meet technical specifications of the Westinghouse. As a result, emergency situations have occurred several times after loading the US fuel at some power units of the nuclear power plants.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
