“To fell a reactor it is necessary to try, – said the Belarusian a nuclear physicist with 35 years of experience Yegor Fedyushin. – This suggests that the level of responsibility — no”. He commented on DELFI incident, during which, as claimed, the reactor fell from a height of several meters at the site of Ostrovets NPP.
The Belarusian side confirmed that an incident took place, however, the drop in the reactor did not conduct speech. Lithuania is extremely concerned about the information already,incidentally, is not the first incident at the construction site of a nuclear power plant in Belarus, the interlocutor DELFI E. Fedyushin at all convinced that this station does not need Belarus.
E. Fedyushin – a nuclear physicist, a scientist, public figure, Deputy head of the Belarusian socio-ecological Union “Chernobyl”, co-Chairman of the movement “Scientists for nuclear-free Belarus”.
– Why, from your point of view, the project of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is so closed?
– I can only speculate. We have in the past year was the jubilee — the 50th anniversary of the Institute of nuclear power, and I, as a veteran of the Institute, was invited back and met with some of my former colleagues that are now part of the leadership of the NPP construction. We also discussed this topic. They know my opinion that the NPP project in Belarus — the notoriously unprofitable project from all points of view. My question – can I come see what you had built there, I was told that you need special permission. Of course, I understood them, because to build a nuclear power plant and operetta, for example, is not the same thing.Such objects, as a rule, regime. And though I was interested to see what they have work place, perhaps to tell them something, I did not get involved with bureaucracy. Moreover, nothing new, I would have not seen. I am not against nuclear energy as such — for special purposes, space exploration, submarines and other places where people risk their lives in the name of something. But when the civilian population put potentially dangerous objects after Fukushima — it’s hard to explain. I’m not even talking about security, although this is important. Just this idea is absolutely not necessary for Belarus.
Why?
– Belarus does not need these resources. Now think where to put the excess energy that will produce this station. We have, according to economists, more than 40% overcapacity, frozen.
– Belarus is building the nuclear power plant with Russian money. Why Russia is a nuclear power plant in Belarus?
– For Russia it is unprofitable project and I think they understand that this money will never return. For Belarus it is also disadvantageous for the reasons which I have already spoken.Instead in these areas to produce artesian water, to help people to survive, we are building the facility, getting into a project that no one knows what the outcome may be. Talking about the nuclear power plant life and 60 and 100 years. It’s all good on paper, and then what to do with this object? Where to put it? Still the problem of “green fields” is not solved.
– Lithuania is also worried about the construction of nuclear power plant near their border…
I understand your concern, because Lithuania is close. The opinion of “Scientists for denuclearized Belarus” in that in this embodiment, any nuclear plant is a time bomb, especially with the current system of terrorism and precision weapons. But if we take into account the influence of psychological aspects, so-called human factor, to talk about security of any such object at all problematic. When my colleagues say it’s completely safe, I have it of anything, except scepticism, does not cause. Absolutely secure systems do not exist. We do not build planes, so that they fall and they fall. Ships sink. Nuclear power station build, so they produced energy, but see what happens — Chernobyl, Fukushima—these are only the most well-known facts. How many other incidents! In technology — this is normal, are failures, refinement, improvement. It is somehow acceptable, when it is not connected with safety of the surrounding population. Although Russian equipment is no less reliable than foreign — I am sure, because I worked closely on this topic, have been to all stations of the Soviet Union is absolutely safe — it cannot be. After all, this is a technical job, it requires extraordinary levels of knowledge, skills sometimes make decisions quickly.
– Is there enough in Belarus to potential employees if the station is still to be built?
– I think that we have no shortage of energy as such, and there are new sources of energy. Now there is a new technology.
– But is there any footage?
Now, as far as I know, they are prepared. Once, in the eighties, I’ve read a couple of courses on nuclear Affairs at the Department of solid state physics of the Belarusian state University. Now,as my colleagues, groups, children are taught with an eye to work at the plant. After all, nuclear technologies require a lot of attention and a great deal of responsibility, so there is still the carefully selected people. When I entered the University of Kharkov, we chose not only knowledge, but also for health reasons, because you’re consciously going, risk. Risking their household, because they too are exposed to potential danger. I’m not saying that nuclear power plants are very dangerous. It is a possible danger, but for Belarus it is absolutely not the right option. It does not solve any energy problems, economic only adds — we get a debt of $10 billion, it is at least because the construction. Materials, energy — everything is expensive, so in 10 billion we would not get. Moreover, instead of having to give the Russians to build a turn-key, we started to get involved – to offer their professionals who are there,their materials, etc. Current incidents that occur at the site, which are written, for example, that the reactor vessel fell from a height of 4 meters is generally unacceptable. Need to take more responsibility for this project. But in General, I believe that we shouldn’t have involved in this project. It is short-sighted.
– As is now being discussed that the reactor had fallen down tell me what can this mean?
– Imagine: the baby lies wrapped in a wrapping cloth on the bench, on the windowsill, suddenly the window flew open, and he fell. He didn’t even Wake up, but who knows what will happen then (this was in my childhood). Not to say that the reactor as glass will break, but there’s a tense place, it is a complex design, there is a welded joint, the device inside the case. And I think by far this case you need to send back to Volgodonsk for fault detection. By the way, built the case for Belarus — preferentsy. At the request of the IAEA should be the reference reactor, which has worked in the country for some time. And on this reactor experience, especially being manufactured in Volgodonsk, on a new production. You know what the new production. You need to work for years, decades. I know, I’m such plants were sometimes worker, a skilled craftsman for several doctors. But I’d like to send this reactor back and requested a new reference reactor. And for good, need a construction freeze, to think about how this case is to convert and remove the “headache”. And this is truly a “headache” for the government, the Ministry of energy. I’m not talking about security, although this is not the last thing. If this case will set, there will be a lot of questions.
– Do you think that this project needs to be closed?
– I believe that he was not supposed to open. In any case, the sooner we close, the less will be the losses. This station will never pay off. I think our government it is framed by the one who encouraged us all to build a nuclear power plant. I’m not saying the Russian nuclear power plants”, Russian is one of the most reliable. And so, to “drop” the reactor is a must try. This suggests that the level of responsibility — no.
