Putin’s War Exposes Risks to Deploying Small Nuclear Reactors
- Small modular reactors are seen as the future of atomic energy
- Russian seizure of atomic plant exposes safety vulnerabilities
A Russian soldier guards Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
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The Russian army’s seizure of the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe isn’t just exposing Ukrainians to the risk of an atomic accident but may also undermine plans to install new miniature reactors in far-flung places.
Months of shelling and rocket attacks against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are revealing vulnerabilities that power utilities haven’t historically been forced to consider. Engineers typically design reactors to withstand storms, earthquakes or plane crashes but until now haven’t factored war into their calculations.