Fire at Europe's Largest Nuclear Power Plant

Researched by Industrial Info Resouces (Sugar Land, Texas)--The 6,000-megawatt Zaporozhye Nuclear Power plant is under full attack and a fire has broken out at this hour. The Russian military has been trying to take control of the plant for most of the week, as power plant workers and local residents have been acting as a human shield protecting the plant. There are now reports of the Russian Army firing on the plant from all sides. It does not appear that any of the nuclear reactors have been hit so far. According to the Mayor of the nearby city of Enerdohar the plant is now on fire and firefighters are unable to extinguish the flames due to ongoing Russian shelling.

Zaporozhye Nuclear Power is home to (6) WWER-1000 Pressurized Water Reactors supplied by Atommash. Each of the reactors are driving a 1000-megawatt Kharkovsky Turbinny Zavod Steam Turbine/Generator. The first unit started commercial operation in 1984 with the final unit starting up in 1995. There is speculation if there were to be a major explosion at the plant it could have devastating effects 10 times worse than the Chernobyl disaster.