Are the Back Up Generators a Problem?

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The emergency power supplies is provided by a desel generator. And this is what happened at fukeshimer in the aftermath of the earthquake. Back up generators kicked in, but they were situated at a level that was eight meters above sea level. But the sunarmy itself was 15 meters high. So the back up generators were inundated with water. And they failed to provide that cooling water around the reactor,. which led to the melt down.

Last week, a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant was seized by Russian forces in early May and has recently been the target of sustained shelling, increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who is leading the inspection team, has reported that the integrity of the plant has been violated several times. Ian Sample speaks to Prof Claire Corkhill about what this could mean for Zaporizhzhia, what the risks are if the plant loses external power, and how a nuclear meltdown can be avoided. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod