Ukraine’s Nukenado < Updated

[ Newest items at the bottom. ]

On top of those melt downs at Fukushima there’s a big nuke emergency in Urkraine at one of the biggest nuke plants in the world. Not on US news, of course.

OLD NEWS:

Dec. 3 Fox Crawl – Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant crippled by accident that shut down reactor

An incident at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been kept secret by the authorities for five days. It happened on 28 November 2014, forcing one reactor to be shut down.

Dec. 4 – Energoatom says, “Nothing to look at here folks! Move along!” Dec. 14 – LINK –  http://youtu.be/KwxHf15HtBI Dec. 22 – The People’s Voice – Ukraine a black hole of trouble. Running out of money.

” . . .  Exhausting its foreign exchange reserves. Economic crisis conditions worsening. At a time Fort Russ reports 15 Ukrainian nuclear reactors dangerously close to power loss. Disastrous if happens. Ukraine can’t pay its bills. It’s running out of coal. Civil war continues. Economic collapse looms. About half the country’s coal mines aren’t operating. Miners walked out. Left to protect their families and homes. From “Kiev regime assaults.” Supply roads were destroyed. Stability keeps deteriorating.

If “reactors lose power, and generators don’t operate…uncontrollable temperature rises, explosions, meltdowns and meltthroughs“ will follow, said Fort Russ. Like Fukushima. Maybe worse. Given the number of troubled reactors. Erupting spent fuel pools spell disaster. . . ”

Dec. 26 – TASS – Ukraine to repair two units of Zaporizhia NPP in February < has tech. details Dec. 31 – TASS –  Use of US nuclear fuel at Czech Republic’s Temelin NPP causes problems — experts

Europe advises its counterparts in other countries not to replace the nuclear fuel specifically designed for this type of reactors with unauthorized substitutes, the company ALTA said

NOW:

• Dec. 28 – Русская Весна – BREAKING: new emergency on Zaporozhye A-plant. Power unit 6 emergency shutdown

” . . .  Let us recall that one month ago, November 28, another emergency shutdown on Zaporozhye A-plant took place: it was power unit 3 with capacity of 1000 megawatt. “The unit was easily shifted into cold position. There were no radiological consequences”, — they said then at Energoatom.

That malfunction was the fourth emergency shutdown of power unit 3 at the most heavily loaded and exhausted A-plants of Ukraine. There are three power plants running in Ukraine now with 16 power units four of which are idle at the moment. . . “

Dec. 30 – Leuren Moret – ‘Second Chernobyl’ May Be Underway In Ukraine

• ENE-News – “Emergency shutdown” at one of world’s largest nuke plants — Local Official: “Radiation is 14 times higher than acceptable norm” in area; Warns of Chernobyl-type disaster
• Zero Hedge – Is Ukraine Hiding A Huge Radiation Leak At The Largest Nuclear Power Plant In Europe?
• RT News – Radioactive leak at major Ukrainian nuclear plant < has video
• Sputnik – rad levels spike – According to Donetsk People’s Republic official radiation spike was caused by a failed attempt to replace Russian-made fuel rods with US components.
• Interfax – Westinghouse to provide more fuel for Ukraine nuclear plants

• white paper – TECHNICAL REVIEW OF NEW FUEL APPLICATION AND MIXED CORES OPERATION AT UKRAINIAN NPPs

” …. Strategy on creation of the centralized storage of the spent fuel. This fact defines necessity of estimation an storage opportunity of a new fuel after operation in reactor core;   The declared policy Euro integration. The process of licensing of new types of fuel takes into account the recommendations IAEA, experience of the EC countries. For an independent technical review the international organizations are involving.”

• TASS – Moscow says Ukraine’s switch to US nuclear fuel threatens European safety
• Washingtons Blog – Has the Largest Nuclear Plant In Europe – Located In Ukraine – Suffered a Major Accident?
• ENE-News – TV: Documents reveal radiation spike at world’s fifth largest nuclear plant — Reuters: Officials “could not comment” if documents are authentic; Report says radiation levels measured at 16 times gov’t limit after leak (VIDEO)
• Sott Net – Upheaval at Ukraine’s Zaporozhye nuclear power plant?
• Global Research – Catastrophe at Ukraine’s Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant?  ( relates to Sott Net article)
• Blog – Not All Alleged Is Apparent – Zaporizhia / Zaporozhye NPP Update: Russian Mainstream Media begins to wonder too
• In Siberia – Ukraine: Radioactive leak at major nuclear plant – reports [ 16.8 x rad safe level]
• Turkish News – The alleged leak in the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (computer translation), original
• Media Press [France] – Another Chernobyl in preparation Zaporizhya (Ukraine)? (translated) < original

” . . . So far, the reactors were operating with fuel supplied by Russia’s Rosatom. But it seems that the clique of neo-Nazi and anti-Russian hysteria in power in Kiev has undertaken to replace the Russian fuel and to provide for Westinghouse (USA). One more sign, if necessary, submitting Ukrainian coup leaders to US interests.

But the transplant fuel supplied by Westinghouse on Russian design reactors seem to pose serious problems. It is reported more reactor stops (3 and 6) in recent days, and retirements grid. . . “

• Nuclear-News – Confusing information over Ukraine’s Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant ‘s radioactive leak
• Jan. 3 – Seemorerocks blog –  Important leaked information about the Zaporozhia nuclear power plant accident – A Second Chernobyl?
• Bellona – As Russia and US scramble for Ukrainian nuke fuel market, someone needs to hit the breaks and talk safety

• ZIK (west Ukraine cable tv conglomerate, started 2010) – Westinghouse springs into action with fake news report
• Jan. 6 – See More Rocks blog – Mistake in reported radiation from Zaporozhia Please Note: The Radiation Reported in “leaked documents” from Zaporozhye / Zaporizhia NPP is NOT “5 mSv/year”, but 5 µSv/hr !!!  (RT mistranslation being spread widely) – that’s per HOUR(!)

SafeCast radiation map Bellona (think tank in Norway) – Nuclear issues in ex-soviet republics Romania monitors catch radiation spike –

  – from ENE News comment

The nuke plant is in SE Ukraine at Vodyane, Zaporizhia. It is at 45.51 N Lat and 34.58 W Long. MORE INFO + MAP.    Google MAP

TWITTER news, photos – http://twitter.com/hashtag/zaporozhye

Duke Univ. – Fact Sheet: ZAPOROZHYE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (ZNPP) IS THE LARGEST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN EUROPE

• white paper – The Zaporazhye ISFSI [PDF] outlines the plant’s relationship with Duke Univ. “Minimal preexisting information was available to provide guidance to the designers on fuel or equipment adaptation.”

Technical documents from Uchebilka.ru on the upgrade work there – English (computer translation), original (Russian)

Russia & East European radiation reports at Not  All Alledged is Apparent blog

Leuren Moret Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant LINK –  http://youtu.be/x5LBuVURAGE

More on Westinghouse fuel switch deal

• Kyiv Post – Westinghouse on brink of long-term nuclear fuel deal with Ukraine
• ZIK – UKRAINE PLANS TO DOUBLE PRODUCTION OF TANKS IN 2015, POROSHENKO SAYS
• Wall St. Journal – Westinghouse, Ukraine Near Deal on Nuclear Fuel for Reactors, Contract Extension Could Also Lessen Reliance of Other Former Communist States on Russia

“A U.S.-based [sic] energy company and Ukraine are on the verge of signing a deal that would lessen Russia’s influence and give the West greater leverage on the former Soviet republic.”

• Nuc Net – Westinghouse To Provide Hydrogen Recombiners For Ukraine’s Zaporozhye
• World Nuclear News – Westinghouse ‘significantly’ expands fuel supply in Ukraine

Dec. 31, 2014 – “Westinghouse and Energoatom have agreed “to significantly increase” nuclear fuel deliveries to Ukrainian nuclear power plants until 2020.

In a statement yesterday, Westinghouse said this increased cooperation will bring diversification and security of nuclear fuel supplies for Ukraine’s reactor fleet

US-based Westinghouse, which is majority-owned by Japan’s Toshiba, has been working in the Ukrainian market since 2003. Its fuel is operating at the South Ukraine nuclear power plant “without any defects in performance”, Westinghouse said in the same statement. . . . “

• Odessa Talk – Westinghouse in Ukraine – Defective atomic parts as predicted

” . . . Structural defects with the fuel assemblies have been identified resulting in mechanical damage – and Westinghouse are now scrambling to put matters right despite having previously pooh-poohed the concerns I mentioned on 1st May 2010.

The question is whether Westinghouse will be given the opportunity to do so – and at what political cost to Washington given the origins of the deal – or given their cavalier attitude in 2010, whether they are rightly and justifiably to be kicked out of Ukraine. . . . “

   [2010 was when pro-west cable ‘news’ outlet ZIK  started]

• Jan. 6 – Vestnik – Ukraine expands nuclear cooperation with U.S.“On December 30, Energoatom (Ukraine) and Westinghouse (U.S.) signed a deal on expansion of U.S. nuclear fuel exploitation at Ukranian nuclear power plants until 2020. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called it a step towards diversification of energy resources. TVEL (Russia) had been the main supplier of nuclear fuel for Ukraine until the deal.The previous contract of Energoatom and Westinghouse expired in 2014. The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant is still being tested . . .”
• Jan. 6 – Dublinmick’s Blog – Ukraine Energy Wars Are Leading To A Fukushima-Chernobyl Debacle In Europe
• Jan. 7 – TOL – Russia, Ukraine Tangle Over Nuclear Fuel, Croatia Demands Extradition of Australian War Crime Suspect
• Jan. 12 – Not All Alledged is Apparent blog –Cover-up of Zaporizhye Nuclear Accident Near-Certain
  

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They had a dust up with US sponsored Nazis in May – The Storming of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant by Neo-Nazis A comment on ENE-News – “US ambassador to Ukraine is former deputy chief of U.S. mission to IAEA”

Chris Busby talks about Ukraine NPP situation in this Alex Jones’ Show Interview [ at 1:23:14 mark ]

LINK – http://youtu.be/1AOF7fvEo48

UPDATE

• Jan. 13 – ENE-News – TV: Documents reveal radiation spike at world’s fifth largest nuclear plant — Reuters: Officials “could not comment” if documents are authentic; Report says radiation levels measured at 16 times gov’t limit after leak (VIDEO) < This article has many good comments & links
• RT News – 17 x radiation (?) – video
• Jan. 14 – Boiling Frogs Post – BFP Exclusive: A Nuclear Tinderbox in Ukraine ” . . .  As if to underscore the danger staring us in the face, the Westinghouse official Michael Kirst was quoted as saying that “if you look at a photograph of (the TVEL fuel assembly), you’ll see the space between is so narrow that (Westinghouse) must force its fuel assemblies into the reactor. I don’t have to tell you that (with nuclear fuel assemblies) that is a bad idea. These things can’t be forced.” . . . “
• Blog – Not All Alleged Is Apparent– Latvian Nov. 28 Spikes Revisited: Nullschool Data Shows Perfect Correlation with ZNPP Wind Path!
• Jan. 16 – TASS – China ready to sell nuclear fuel for NPPs in Ukraine and Eastern Europe — CNNC source  < has related articles on the sidebar
• Jan. 16 – UR1 – Fire at South-Ukraine NPP occurs at night

            World Nuclear News – Transformer fire at South Ukraine plant extinguished

• Jan. 19 – Hungary Today – Paks Power Plant: Leak In 2013 Did Not Reach Deviation Level ” . . . Chinese companies were looking for opportunities to sell nuclear fuel in Eastern Europe. . .”Russia had regained the market of nuclear fuel for water-cooled reactors after revelations at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant (Czech Republic) and Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant (Finland). Diversification of fuel supplies in Ukraine started with a deal signed with American companies in 2000, during Leonid Kuchma’s presidency. As of 2007, the third block of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant had 6 American reactor fuel assemblies, less than 1% of all fuel at Ukrainian nuclear facilities. President Yushchenko sped the process up after President Bush’s visit. 42 American reactor fuel assemblies were installed at the third block.”

Mar. 9 Rense.com – Yoichi Shimatsu talks about MOX at ZNPP Urkraine – audio file May 16 – RT News – Safety system at Ukraine’s largest Zaporozhye nuclear plant triggers shutdown

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VIDEO

LINK –  http://youtu.be/-CFIEj_xfaE LINK –  http://youtu.be/QC7hKH5bAfY LINK –  http://youtu.be/d9XRsXTnepM Feb. 17 – LINK –  http://youtu.be/isDueo_O3oo July 24 – A good summary of the situation so far by Dr. Leuren Moret – LINK – http://youtu.be/OnZ61yrSU_4

July 28 – Ukraine requests emergency help from “the aggressor”

” . . . It was reported earlier that Ukriane’s most powerful power station in Uglegorsk (Donetsk Region, property of the state firm Tsentrenergo) halted power generation last night. Repairs are also being conducted on a number of other power stations. In addition, one of the 1000 MW generators at the Zaporozhye power station has suffered damage and is undergoing emergency repairs.

According to Yurasumy, these problems which nearly caused the collapse of Ukraine’s power grid have a number of causes. One of them is the effort to convert Ukrainian nuclear power plants to US fuel.”

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NOTE: Google News is blocking all news about Zaporozhye Power Plant after Jan. 2nd.

[ this post will get updated as more news comes in ]