- Title: Ukraine nuclear chief: Zaporizhzhia plant does not need Russian fuel
- Date: 13th October 2022
- Summary: KYIV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 13, 2012) (REUTERS) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, UKRAINE'S STATE NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY, PETRO KOTIN, BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, PETRO KOTIN, SAYING: "There are a lot of rumours and a lot of statements, fake statemenets from Russians actually published by TASS and also Ria Novosti, and other mass media which they use for that, and a lot of them are fakes. Actually it is not easy to just transfer the fuel in Zaporizhzhia from one supplier to another, it is actually quite a long process to do that. It is not easy, first. Second, there is no pre-conditions (preparatory work) for that at all, any work done for preparation of this process. Just to prepare for such a transfer from one (supplier) to another you will need about three years. So they (Russia) call tell this fake news." KOTIN LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, PETRO KOTIN, SAYING: "Technically speaking you do not need to do that (get Russian supplies) because we have quite a storage of fuel at Zaporizhzhia." PICTURE ON THE WALL DEPICTING ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR PLANT AND FIELD OF SUNFLOWERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, PETRO KOTIN, SAYING: "I would say that the biggest threat is the blackout at the plant. Actually, we have already had three blackouts and diesel generator starting up and actually providing the power to cool the reactors. That is the biggest threat at the moment, because they (Russians) damaged all the lines which connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the Ukrainian system. We are trying to restore these lines, but degradation is completely going on and at the moment we only have one line. Today we are trying to restore additional lines, but we already have had three cases of blackout." KOTIN BEING INTERVIEWD (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, PETRO KOTIN, SAYING: "IAEA (Iternational Atomic Energy Agency) is making some steps forward. Mr (Rafael) Grossi (IAEA cheif) is involved at the moment, so we actually rely on him very heavily." KOTIN BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF OF ENERGOATOM, PETRO KOTIN, SAYING: "What we need is to create the safety zone, meaning a demilitarised zone around the plant, and that is in accordance with any law regarding nuclear safety in the world. Any documents you can see, (state) there should not be any aggression against civilian nuclear objects." VARIOUS OF KOTIN BEING INTERVIEWED KOTIN STANDING WITH REPORTER, REPORTER ASKING IF MELTDOWN IN ZAPORIZHZHIA COULD RESULT IN A SITUATION SIMILAR TO CHERNOBYL DISASTER, KOTING SAYING: "Yes, and also this will depend on the volume of this meltdown. You know, if you have one fuel assembly then it will be like small amount, if you have everything, then you will have Chernobyl situation. In one unit, but there are six units."
- Embargoed: 27th October 2022 11:25
- Keywords: Energoatom Kotin Russia Ukraine Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power
- Location: KYIV, UKRAINE
- City: KYIV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001198613102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy company on Thursday (October 13) decried as "fake news" Russian assertions that the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will need Russian fuel.
Energoatom chief Petro Kotin, speaking in a Reuters interview, said there are fresh fuel supplies in storage at the six-reactor plant, the largest in Europe.
His comments came after an official of Rosenergoatom, Russia's nuclear power operator, was quoted by Russia's TASS state news agency as saying that the Zaporizhzhia plant would be switched to Russian fuel once its reserves are exhausted.
Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the facility, raising fears of a mishap that could release radioactive material.
Kotin said his biggest fear was a cutoff of external power needed for cooling the reactors, all of which are in cold shutdown, and a loss of emergency diesel generators that have only 10 days of supplies of fuel, threatening a meltdown.
The plant is located in southern Zaporizhzhia province, much of which is held by Moscow's forces and which was proclaimed part of Russia by President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, along with three other partly occupied regions.
Russian forces seized the plant in March, the month after they launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
(Production: Anna Voitenko, Anna Dabrowska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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