MP Andriy Artemenko (Radical Party) said that on July 16, a serious accident with leakage of nuclear fuel was recorded at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), while the press service of the National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom denied the information.
“I learnt from reliable sources that the government was hiding the seriousness of the accident occurred on July 16 at reactor No. 1 of Khmelnytsky NPP with the depressurization of the reactor primary circuit and leakage of radioactive coolant to the nuclear steam generator. In addition, nuclear fuel leaked, which is a critical situation”, he wrote on his Facebook page.
He said that on Monday a meeting with participation of Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Kistion and Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk was held to discuss the issue.
The press service of Energoatom said that information of Artemenko was not true. He took it from unknown and unverified sources and misinformed citizens, they said.
“On July 16, reactor No. 1 of Khmelnytsky NPP was disconnected from power grid as there was leakage at nuclear steam generator, and Energoatom informed about it quickly on its website. This is not leakage of nuclear fuel. Radiation level on the industrial site and adjacent areas has not changed. It is normal for exploitation of reactors”, the press service said.
Energoatom is the operator of all four Ukraine-based operating nuclear power plants, which have 15 VVER reactors with an overall generating capacity of 13.835 gigawatts. (Interfax/Business World Magazine)