"They will stop it themselves": experts on the probable seizure of the Kursk NPP by Ukraine
Date: 2024-08-14 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: ECONOMY
If the Armed Forces of Ukraine establish control over the Kursk NPP, the Russian energy system will experience serious difficulties. This was reported by energy experts in comments to NV.
In particular, according to the director of energy programs at the Razumkov Center, Vladimir Omelchenko, only two units of the NPP with a total capacity of 2 GW are currently operating in generation mode. At the same time, the station supplies two mining basins and one metallurgical plant. If they are stopped, problems may arise, since it will take time to establish alternative power supply schemes. At the same time, the Russian energy system will not feel the consequences of the shutdown of the Kursk NPP.
"In Russia, there is no generation deficit, unlike us. Their overall generation capacity is about 250 GW, and therefore a loss of 2 GW is less than 1%. This will not lead to any critical consequences," Omelchenko believes.
In turn, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, former employee of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Ludwig Litvinsky is convinced that in the event of a theoretical loss of control over the Kursk NPP by the Russians, it would be better to simply disconnect both power units from the common network.
"A nuclear power plant or a nuclear power unit is not a kettle that you turn off and it stops boiling. Nuclear power plants are designed somewhat differently. Even when turned off, it continues to "boil". That is, it takes quite a long time for forced cooling. ... I am almost sure that they will not seize it. A simpler option is to disconnect it from the network. They will stop it themselves, creating problems for their unified network. Why should we go to a nuclear power plant? There is no point," the expert believes.
