ENERGY SAFETY GROUP – A PARTNER OF THE ESSAY CONTEST “NUCLEAR ENERGY AND THE WORLD”

ENERGY SAFETY GROUP traditionally became a partner of the “Nuclear Energy and the World”-2024 Essay Contest for students organized by Ukrainian Nuclear Society (UkrNS).

The essay contest was hosted by UkrNS, JSC “NNEGC “Energoatom”, with the support of Energy Safety Group (member of the PA “Energy Safety Institute”) and higher education institutions of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Department of Heat Power Engineering, Thermal and Nuclear Power Plants, Odesa Polytechnic National University, Department of NPPs, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, and the Kharkiv Branch of UkrNS.

This year, 19 participants from different regions of Ukraine made it to the finals. At the first stage of the competition, the jury members pre-evaluated the essays, and in the final part, the contestants presented and defended their work.

The essays of the participants in the scientific area raised the issues of isotope prediction methods, fusion, uranium applications and properties, and the study of obtaining charged particle tracks in a diffusion chamber. Many studies were devoted to the prospects and strategy for the development of the nuclear industry in Ukraine; new technologies in nuclear energy, such as small modular reactors, prospects for nuclear thermal power; review of nuclear fuel supply technologies; safety culture and protection systems at NPPs. The essays covering the environmental topics were devoted to the impact of nuclear power on the environment, radioactive waste management, and the causes and consequences of the Chornobyl accident. Special research of the participants was made in the choice of a profession in the nuclear industry, in particular nuclear physicist, as well as the formation of public opinion on the nuclear industry in society.

The following contestants were awarded prizes by the jury:

1st place: Mariia Pcholkina, Kharkiv, 11th grade student of Kharkiv Lyceum No. 173, with her essay “Methodology for Predicting Isotope Properties”.

2nd place: Solomiia Chukova, Varash, 9th grade student of Varash Lyceum No. 3, with her essay “Applications and Properties of Uranium”.

3rd place: Liubov Krutenko, Kharkiv, 10th grade student of Kharkiv Lyceum No.156, with her essay “Want to become a Nuclear Physicist? Ask Me How!”

This year’s participants also received four encouragement prizes: Stanislav Zhurakivsky from Pivdenoukrainsk, 10th grade student of Pivdenoukrainsky Lyceum No. 1, with his essay “Fusion: Energy of Stars in Our Hands”; Yevheniia Ilyushkina, Pivdenoukrainsk, 11th grade student of Pivdenoukrainsky Lyceum No. 1, with her essay “Strategy for the Development of Nuclear Energy of Ukraine for 2024-2034”; Anastasiia Lukianenko, Slavutych, 11th grade student of Slavutych Secondary School No. 1, with her essay “New Technologies in Nuclear Energy: Small Modular Reactors”; Ivan Hladkyi, Khmelnytskyi, 10th grade student of Volodymyr Krasytskyi Lyceum No. 1, with his essay “New Technologies in Nuclear Energy: Small Modular Reactors”.

The jury of the competition included experts from leading enterprises, research institutions and educational institutions of the industry: Oleksandr Mazurok, PhD, General Director of Energy Safety Group LLC (ES Group); Volodymyr Borysenko, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ph, Head of the Nuclear Energy Department of the Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Safety Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Valerii Tuz, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”; Yevhen Malyi, Ph, Senior Research Scientist at the Department of Radiation Physics of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (INR NAS), Head of the UkrNS Separate Subdivision at INR NAS; Tetiana Zakrevska, Head of the Licensing Department of the Design and Technical Department of Atomproektengineering, Head of the Separate Subdivision UkrNS in Kyiv on the basis of Affiliate “Atomproektengineering” of JSC “NNEGC “Energoatom”; Nataliia Klos, President of the regional professional organization “Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network”; Oleh Zoteiev, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Nuclear Power Plants of the National University “Odesa Polytechnic”; Danylo Lavrenov, PhD, Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, Director of the Department of JSC “NNEGC “Energoatom”.