CND Press Roundup, Friday 4th March, 2022

Posted: 4th March 2022

War in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest in Europe with six reactors, has been seized by the Russian military. It was initially feared that nuclear contamination could happen after a fire broke out at a training facility on the complex after Russian shelling. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Ukraine’s nuclear energy regulator had reported no change in radiation levels.
The Telegraph leads with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s reaction to the Russian seizure of the Zaporizhzhia plant, who said the shelling amounted to “nuclear terrorism.” He called on western leaders to “wake up” to the threat posed by Vladimir Putin and prevent another nuclear incident in Europe. Earlier, the Ukrainian government warned that an explosion at Zaporizhzhia would be ten times greater than the one at Chernobyl.
Russia denies that it was responsible for the fire at the nuclear plant, instead blaming Ukrainian saboteurs for inciting a “monsterous provocation.” Answering questions on the overnight incident, Russian defence ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that Russian national guard troops had come under attack from a Ukrainian sabotage group who had been operating close to the Zaporizhzhia plant.
In Scotland, the Courier has an interview with a British nuclear test veteran, who describes the ongoing war as “particularly heart-breaking.” Dave Whyte, from Fife, blames his multitude of health problems on his participation in a series of British nuclear tests on Christmas Island in 1958. The piece also looks at the empathy held by Britain’s nuclear test veterans and Ukrainians in the decades since the Chernobyl disaster.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Oil prices dropped from a 14-year high amid rumours that a revived Iran nuclear deal was close. The US State Department said a deal was possible but urged caution as outstanding issues remained. The UN’s energy watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), believes Iran is close to having enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb.

Nuclear Korea

A wildfire near a South Korean nuclear facility has led to its president, Moon jae-In, calling for an all-out effort to be made to protect the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant. Local firefighters are cooperating with the defence ministry and the forestry agency to bring the blaze under control, which started on Friday morning. Six water pressure reactors are located at Hanul with five currently operational at the site.

Fukushima

Victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster will be paid compensation, Japan’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday. In the first of its kind, the court found that Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) had neglected to put in mitigating protections for a tsunami of the size that caused the disaster. It ruled that the firm should pay £9.1m in damages to about 3,700 residents impacted by the disaster, with the average payment of £2,500 per plaintiff. A hearing on the government’s culpability in the disaster will be heard next month.
The Japan Times has a piece on Japan’s nuclear strategy 11 years after the disaster at Fukushima. It looks at Tokyo’s target to have between 20 and 22% of its electricity coming from nuclear power by 2030 but notes that all of its 27 reactors idled since the disaster are still “waiting for regulatory approval for restart.” It mentions the EU’s drive to rely more on nuclear power as part of its strategy to decarbonise industry, however notes: “The momentum for active use of nuclear energy has yet to build up in the country [Japan], due to persistent fears about the safety of nuclear power generation.”

UK Nuclear Energy

The UK government is seeking financial advisers as it looks to find billions of pounds in fresh investment to fund the proposed Sizewell C nuclear plant, following a decision to drop Chinese involvement. Beijing-backed company CGN had a 20% stake in the £20 billion project, with EDF holding the remaining 80% under the previous arrangement. However, following a fall in relations between the UK and China, the new structure will see EDF and the government hold 20% each with the remainder open to new financing.

With best wishes,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament