GLOBAL NEWS •
Foremost , both Ukraine and South Africa once possessed nuclear weapons and made a bold decision to dismantle them to join the non-proliferation treaty . In 1994 , Ukraine gave up the world ’ s third largest nuclear weapon arsenal in exchange for a commitment from Russia , the UK , and the USA to defend Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty . However , when Russian military forces invaded Ukraine in 2014 , the world remained silent .
Ukrainian and South African civil societies agreed that this is an extremely dangerous message that puts the efforts of non-proliferation at risk and condemned the lack of support by international community .
Secondly , Ukraine with its five nuclear power plants ( NPPs ) and South Africa – with the only NPP on the African continent – noted serious concerns and a commitment to keeping NPPs safe . The dialogue raised key threats facing both nations : 1 . Grid unreliability – while in Ukraine the risk is Russian shelling , in South Africa it is loadshedding that threatens the electricity supply .
2 . Onsite generators might collapse , and the shortage of diesel due to the inability to resupply would result in potential disaster . Global best practice is that each NPP requires a minimum of 10-14 days of diesel in storage .
3 . Geopolitical consequences : in the past , Russia refused to renew the licence to supply fuel to all 15 NPP blocks in Ukraine , if Russian geopolitical interests were not fulfilled . This is a risk that must be considered by all nations with NPPs .
4 . NPPs are not ‘ lock-up-and-go ’ projects when risk escalates – and require the long and costly process of decommissioning , even when not operating .
The nuclear threat of war In February 2022 , two Ukrainian NPPs – Chornobyl ( ChNPP ) and Zaporizhzhia ( ZhNPP ) – were occupied by Russian military forces . ChNPP was occupied for the period 24 February - 31 March 2022 . During which time , serious violations of nuclear safety rules took place , including mining of the exclusion zone , and no rotations or returns home for staff for a period of four weeks . Additionally , several Ukrainian NPPs came under direct shelling .
In the case of Zaporizhzhia – the fourth largest NPP in the world – we heard the testimony of nuclear operator Oleg Dugar , who witnessed over 500 Russian soldiers occupying the station . Prior to that , thousands of Ukrainian civilians marched against Russian tanks , in an attempt to stop the invasion . A week after the occupation , Russian military forces started capturing and torturing specialists from ZhNPP , whom they suspected were supporting Ukraine . ZhNPP has already suffered the loss of offsite power six times , which creates the highest risk of a nuclear accident .
What is especially worrying is that this military attack on the nuclear power station was committed by a country that was one of the founders of , and is highly influential in , the International Atomic Energy Agency – the agency that is overseeing the safety of nuclear plants in all countries including Ukraine and South Africa .
The world should remember that nuclear risks are not solely presented by nuclear weapons and the misuse of a nuclear power station can result in a catastrophic outcome . The radioactive clouds that formed as result of the Chornobyl nuclear power station meltdown that took place in 1986 in Ukraine , went twice around the world , creating radioactively polluted territories on all continents . Committing to maintaining the safety of NPPs should be a global one .
Fields peppered with artillery craters , North-West of Slovyansk , Ukraine . Every crossroads on the way to Izium in the Kharkiv bears the scars of war .
United in solidarity The outcome of the dialogue was a call for solidarity . We can no longer turn a blind eye to the environmental devastation and threat posed by the misuse of nuclear energy systems – and potential harm to humans – caused by this military conflict . Nuclear energy can no longer be thought of as a reliable , safe , or clean energy source as we face the twin global challenges of increasing instability ( conflict ) and the looming climate crisis . Another nuclear disaster and the destruction of the environmental habitats and wildlife in Ukraine will negatively affect the whole planet . Only if all countries condemn military invasions , using nuclear energy stations as weapons of war , including the Russian invasion of Ukraine , can we save the planet and avoid repeating the environmental disasters already seen .
We have only one planet and thus , while we are in South Africa , we should stand in solidarity with Ukraine and with people of Ukraine .
The world should remember that nuclear risks are not solely presented by nuclear weapons and the misuse of a nuclear power station can result in a catastrophic outcome .
Destruction of Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant – repercussions As this article was going to print , on 6 June 2023 the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant that has been under Russian control since February 2022 was destroyed . One of the co-authors attended a briefing by the Ukrainian President on the status of the dam and the results of exploding the dam . The destruction of the dam is a major humanitarian and environmental manmade disaster that leaves approximately 1 million Ukrainians without drinking water and creates significant risks for agricultural and metallurgical production . The seriousness and severity of the incident means it is being called ecocide by environmentalists around the world . Beyond the devastating impact of the flooding waters on Ukraine , this deliberate act will impact food security in the global south . Moreover , it further endangers the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant . While it is shut down , it still relies on water from the Kakhovka reservoir to cool its reactors and to provide power for the turbine condensers of the plant . •
MAXAR Technologies www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • July 2023 • 11