Uncertainty over the safety of war-wracked Ukraine's nuclear power plants has reignited concerns over a Russian-owned nuclear power station now being built in a quake-prone area on Turkey's southern coast, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot activists said Wednesday.
About 200 activists representing two dozen organizations from both sides of ethnically divided Cyprus converged inside the United Nations controlled buffer zone that cuts across the capital Nicosia. They sought to voice their unease over ongoing construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is only 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the island nation's northern coast.
Organizers said the annual event to commemorate the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred 36 years ago has taken on an added urgency in light of safety concerns regarding Ukraine's nuclear plants, such as Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, which has been seized by Russia.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that nuclear power plants are a source of great uncertainty for public safety, said George Perdikis, former leader of the Cyprus Greens Party.
Activists have long contended that Akkuyu lies near a seismic fault line and that a potentially powerful quake could cause a radioactive leak affecting Cyprus. Cyprus' Geological Survey Department said Wednesday that a 4.7-magnitude quake near the island's southwestern town of Paphos late Tuesday was felt as far away as Lebanon and Israel.
Christina Nicolaou, environmental affairs chief for the leftist AKEL party, said an accident at Turkey's nuclear plant as a result of either a natural disaster or a deliberate act would have huge repercussions for the region.
Turkish officials said the Akkuyu plant would cover about 10% of the country's domestic energy needs. The first of four reactors is scheduled to become operational next year. Russia's Rosatom State Corporation holds a 99.2% stake in the project, whose total cost is estimated at 20 billion U.S. dollars, according to the plant's website.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU