Should an unstable, bankrupt country operate nuclear power plants.

[another_liberal]

Ukraine currently relies on nuclear instalations for about half of its electrical power. With coal fired plants now unable to find enough fuel, those electricity producing nuke plants are more important than they have ever been; however, the aging reactors are beginning to suffer costly breakdowns, such as those described in the following article.

Zaporizhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is in southeast Ukraine on the banks of the Dnieper River.


Emergency shutdown at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant


One of the reactors at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant has automatically shut down after a glitch. This is the second halt in operations in recent weeks at the plant in Ukraine’s southeast, which covers at least one fifth of the country’s power needs. “Unit 6 at Zaporizhzhya NPP was disconnected from the network by the automatic system that prevents damage to the generator. The reactor is running at 40 percent of nominal power,” the plant’s official website says stressing that radiation at the facility is equal to the natural background, which is 8-12 microroentgen/hour.

This accident took place on Sunday morning at 05:59 am local time (03:59 GMT). Causes are still being investigated, while the Energy Ministry hopes to restart the unit in the coming days. The remaining five reactors continue to generate an estimated 4,530 MW. The previous incident at Zaporizhia NPP happened on November 28, but the fact went public five days later, when Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk revealed it during the first session of his new cabinet. At that time the shutdown was caused by a short circuit. As a result, Unit 3 was switched off and put into maintenance to resume operations on December 5.

Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe and also the fifth largest NPP in the world. It is on the bank of the Kakhovka water reservoir on the Dnieper River, some 200 kilometers from the rebel Donetsk region. Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants constitute a huge part of the country's energy system. Fifteen nuclear reactors produce at least 50 percent (over 13 megawatt) of all electric power in Ukraine. Zaporizhia NPP alone produces up to 22 percent of all electricity generated in the country. Two Zaporizhia NPP reactors are to be decommissioned for complete overhaul in February 2015 having operated for 30 years. Unit 1 will be out for maintenance for 129 days.

The new accident at Zaporizhia NPP might deteriorate the catastrophic energy shortage Ukraine is currently witnessing, as its fossil power plants have run out of coal. National energy company Ukrenergo has launched emergency power cuts all over the country to help sustain energy. Consumers are experiencing blackouts that last for hours every day. Ukrainian enterprises are forced to limit their energy consumption and to switch to night production. Kiev authorities have been refusing to buy coal from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as they don’t want “to sponsor” the rebels, and instead turned to other countries. Those attempts were unsuccessful due to general inability to pay or the fact that the supplied coal didn’t fit Ukraine’s energy production.

(snip)

Read more, and watch related video, at: http://rt.com/news/218199-ukraine-nuclear-reactor-shut/

[Kalidurga]

1. Oops sorry I thought you were asking about the US.

carry on. I don't have a good answer for this problem. Except if the Ukraine has no option except to use nuclear energy and it's becoming a safety issue which won't affect just the Ukraine then it would be reasonable for other countries to offer to help them shore up the issues that could end up with tragic results. Just sayin not actually suggesting any course of action.

[Brigid]

3. I thought exactly the same thing!

[Kalidurga]

4. Oh good

I felt a bit like a dunderhead there for a minute.

[Politicalboi]

6. I thought the same thing

And they left out a crazy house and senate.

[Kalidurga]

7. There are lots of days when I am very happy that Reagan is no longer president

that man should have been no where near a red button. But, I digress this is about nuclear energy just the talk of a crazy house and senate and thank goodness none of them are near the button.

[Igel]

24. I thought they were talking about Russia.

Or perhaps Iran.

Then again, if you help and supply an insurgency in a smaller country, instability is an easy thing to achieve. Russia knows this. The US knows this.

[Archae]

2. Like Russia under Putin?

"Oh that's different!"

[another_liberal]

8. Is Russia "unstable" and "bankrupt?"

That is news to me?

[reACTIONary]

27. No, but...

...instability and bankruptcy have become their chief export.

[on point]

5. How long will it take for the USA to shut down all its plants before it falls?

[another_liberal]

10. If our society falls apart, many likely won't be shut down . . .

They'll just sit there and burn for years. Or would it be for centuries?

[treestar]

9. No they should not

That sounds like a recipe for disaster.

However, no international treaty has been executed to the effect that nuclear power plant are prohibited anywhere, so who is to enforce this and how?

I mean I'm sure Ukraine should not have them but who is going to make them close them down? What are they to use instead? Oil? Solar or wind?

[another_liberal]

12. "If you break it, you own it."

By forcing the overthrow of a democratically elected government and installing our hand-picked junta, we broke Ukraine, plain and simple. I guess it's really our problem now.

[treestar]

14. So the US should go in and shut down the power plants?

Won't we have to get the military involved? I doubt that Ukraine will be willing to sit back and let us do that.

[another_liberal]

19. I don't think we should do anything of the sort . . .

But then I was against our overthrowing the elected government there too. My pointing out the dangers involved then didn't seem to change many minds, even around here. One thing is certain, though, sending in American troops now is about the single worst thing we might follow-up with.

Our country is responsible for Ukraine's current crisis (in energy and in government) and it is our responsibility to do something now that improves the situation, not something that just makes our bankers and big energy corporations yet richer and more powerful.

[treestar]

20. So what would that be?

What can we do to close down Ukrainian nuclear power plants?

[EX500rider]

15. "forcing the overthrow of a democratically elected government and installing our hand-picked junta"

Except that never happened (unless you only read RT which i rate below The National Enquire)

The Ukrainians forced out their own government and then voted in a new one.

It was all in the news if you avoid RT.

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. The Ukrainians in the Donbass apparently opted out.

With a little help from their friends.

Just like the Ukrainians forced out their own government.

With a little help from their friends.

[NuclearDem]

11. ...

[SidDithers]

13. ...

Sid

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. Yeah, failing nuclear infrastructure is ROFL funny.

Here's a link to a propaganda outlet that probably meets your approval:

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-nuclear-reactor-shut-down/26766172.html

Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Shuts Down Reactor For Second Time This Month

December 28, 2014

Ukraine has shut down a reactor at of its most powerful nuclear power plant for the second time in a month due to an apparent electrical malfunction.

Workers at the Zaporizhzhya power plant disconnected one of the facility's six reactors on December 28, citing a problem with the unit's generator.

Plant officials said the remaining five reactors are operating normally and that radiation in the area remains within acceptable limits.

A different reactor was shut down for several days earlier this month after experiencing a short circuit.

[SidDithers]

18. Yeah, it's not the reactor that's causing such hilarity...nt

Sid

[Octafish]

28. Enlighten us then as to what's so funny.

Otherwise, it's just condescension.

[bananas]

21. No, even stable wealthy countries are reducing their reliance on nuclear

France, Germany, Japan are all reducing their reliance on nuclear energy because it's dirty, dangerous, and expensive.

[NuclearDem]

23. Actually, they're reducing because of the chicken little "sky is falling"

bullshit that emerged after Fukushima.

[dissentient]

22. Sounds like a recipe for disaster

I guess Fukushima and Chernobyl has taught us nothing.

Now my question is, which countries are downwind of the Ukraine?

[KoKo]

25. Interesting Question....

But...no worries...Congress just appropriated Big Bucks to help Ukraine become "Energy Independent." Maybe Joe Biden's son will switch from oil & gas interests to Nuclear.

One would have hoped he'd advocate Solar & Wind for Ukraine....but his appointment to the Board of an Oil/Gas Company might be a conflict there.

[arely staircase]

26. rt