Preliminary
Late at night on September 30th, The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power PlantPower outage enters the first 7 days, this number keeps all nuclear experts awake.
This one once lit up 4 million familiesThe largest nuclear power plant in Europe now has only a few. diesel generatorAttack, even to the United Nations. Nuclear inspectorEveryone is warned.
why Electrical timeSetting new highs repeatedly? nuclear safetyHow long can the bottom line last?
Record 7 days of power outages
7 daysWell, this is a number that all nuclear experts can’t sleep.
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. Electrical timeIt has broken all records since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, making it the darkest week in the history of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
Speaking of this, the nuclear power plant was once the pride of Ukraine, with six reactors in operation, providing one-fifth of the country's electricity, lit up. 4 million familiesBut now, it has fallen into unprecedented darkness.
What is even more worrying is that even those who provide emergency power to nuclear power plants diesel generatorare starting to malfunction.
These machines are like exhausted hearts, striving to maintain the most basic signs of life in nuclear power plants, as IAEA Director-General Grossi said: "This situation is obviously not available. Sustainability。"
Translated into vernacular, the nuclear power plant is holding on the last breath, and big problems may occur at any time. Imagine that if your home is cut off for 7 days, at most, the food will spoil and the mobile phone will run out of power, but the nuclear power plant is cut off for 7 days, which threatens the security of the whole Europe.
According to international standards, the U.S. power supply requirement for nuclear power plants can beined for 72 hours, while Japan requires 24 hours. The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power PlantAlthough the diesel reserve claims to last for 20 days, the continuous operation for 7 days has already made everyone sweat.
This is not the first time since Russia controlled the nuclear power plant in 2022. Electrical failureIt has happened 10 times.
But this time differently, the seven-day power outages not only set a record, but more importantly, it made the world see a terrifying fact: in modern warfare, nuclear power plants have become the most vulnerable target.
Why is something that even terrorists dare not do happening at a nuclear power plant?
Zelensky once said an impressive remark: "There is no terroristsDare to do what Russia is doing to nuclear power plants. "
This sentence sounds like political drool, but when you think about it carefully, it is. Even the most extreme terrorist organizations know that attacking nuclear facilities is an act that touches the bottom line of human civilization, because Nuclear accidentRegardless of national borders, regardless of passports, it affects the entire planet.
But now, such things are happening in front of our eyes, with cannons exploding near the nuclear power plant, transmission lines being repeatedly cut off, and staff keeping the nuclear reactor cool in fear.
This reminds people of 2011 The Fukushima nuclear accident。 The same external power interruption, the same reliance on backup generators, and the same worry of the world.
The difference is that Fukushima is a natural disaster, while Zaporozhye faces human disaster.
The lesson of the Fukushima nuclear accident is still vivid in my mind: when the cooling system fails, nuclear fuel heats up out of control for weeks, eventually leading to core meltdownThe ban zone caused by the accident is still in place today, with ten thousand people forced to leave their homes, and the impact has continued for more than a decade.
MIT's nuclear engineering professor bluntly pointed out that under the current conditions of the zha nuclear power plant, Nuclear fuel pool coolingIs the biggest risk point.
Once the diesel generator completely fails, nuclear fuel is like a patient with high fever who loses antipyretics, the consequences are unthinkable.
What is even more terrifying is that this threat does not come from natural disasters, but from man-made military actions.
Both sides accuse each other of attacking nuclear power plants, but no matter what the truth is, one thing is clear: when nuclear facilities become military targets, what we face is no longer war in the traditional sense, but a challenge to the bottom line of human civilization.
It is not a question of political position, but a question of survival. nuclear radiationIt does not distinguish between nationalities and political positions, and it threatens every life on the planet.
The United Nations "nuclear inspectors" are also helpless. What is the problem?
Griezmann has been busy lately. The International Atomic Energy AgencyThe Director-General was like a firefighter travelling between Moscow and Kiev.
He first met with Putin in Moscow, discussed nuclear security cooperation, and then met with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister in Warsaw, discussing the "critical situation" in Zaporizhia.
But the problem is, after all this talk, Nuclear power plantStill struggling in the dark, this exposes an embarrassing reality: in the face of nuclear security threats in military conflicts, existing international governance mechanisms seem to be powerless.
The International Atomic Energy AgencyThe monitors are indeed permanently stationed at the Zaporozhye Thermal Nuclear Power Plant, an unprecedented arrangement in history, but monitoring is one thing and protection is another.
Monitors can record power outages, report safety conditions, and issue warnings, but they cannot prevent shells from flying towards power lines or military action from threatening nuclear safety.
The deeper problem is that traditional nuclear safety governanceThe system is built on the premise of peace.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and various nuclear security agreements all implicitly recognize that all countries will cooperate to maintain nuclear security in a peaceful environment.
But when the nuclear power plant became part of the war, these agreements were as fragile as paper, and Ukraine Foreign Minister Sebiga put forward a radical proposal: grant IAEATemporary management of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
The idea sounds good, but practical operations are difficult.Who will protect the IAEA’s management?Who will ensure that the military force does not interfere?
Interestingly, even U.S. President Trump has shown “interest” in the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, suggesting the idea that the U.S. could operate the power plant.
These suggestions and ideas all point to a common problem: the traditional concept of sovereignty in the world. nuclear safetyIt seems that there is a shortage of money in front of me.
The impact of nuclear accidents is global, but the management rights of nuclear facilities are national. This contradiction is infinitely magnified in the war environment.
Nuclear security has no national borders, can mankind wake up before disaster?
The crisis at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant shows us a cruel reality: in the nuclear age, human destiny is more interdependent than ever before.
Nuclear technology has no national borders. nuclear threatThere are no national borders, and a nuclear power plant accident may have affected half Europe.
This crisis reflects the profound contradiction between technological globalization and governance fragmentation.
We have the global Internet, we have global trade, we have global climate agreements, but in nuclear safetyIn this area most related to human survival, our governance mechanism is still stuck in the 20th century.
Maybe it's time to rethink the governance model of nuclear security, and nuclear security should be seen as global public goodsJust as we treat the atmosphere and the oceans, we need collective protection beyond national borders.
This means that we may need to consider the concept of "de-sovereignty of nuclear facilities"-in some extreme cases, the safety of nuclear facilities should take precedence over traditional sovereignty considerations.
Of course, this idea sounds radical and difficult to implement, but the Zaporizhne crisis tells us that it will not work without change.
The international community has already taken action, and the EU has started. Nuclear safety emergency response mechanism, neighboring Poland and Romania have strengthened radiation monitoring.
According to the IEA report, the incident has already affected the confidence index for global nuclear development, falling by 15 percent.
More importantly, the international community is discussing the establishment of " International Agreement on the Desmilitarization of Nuclear Facilities“The possibility.
If the agreement can be reached, it will clearly stipulate that under no circumstances will nuclear facilities become military targets and violators will face international sanctions.
But agreements are one thing, and enforcement is another, and the key is whether mankind is willing to give up some of its sovereignty for the sake of common security.
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is still waiting in the dark, and those diesel generators are still working hard. Nuclear fuelStill waiting for the cooling, the world is waiting for the end of this crisis.
Perhaps, this crisis will become a turning point in the history of human nuclear safety governance.
Perhaps, we will finally realize that in the nuclear age, no one is an outsider, no country can be immune, and in the face of nuclear threats, mankind must unite and act together.