The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the French companies Bouygues and Vinci, part of the original Novarka consortium, are working on engineering solutions to restore the functionality of the New Safe Confinement (NSC). The progress was discussed during the meeting between Chornobyl NPP Director General Serhii Tarakanov and the project managers from the EBRD, Bouygues and Vinci in Paris.

The head of the Chornobyl NPP informed the partners about the progress of recent repair work carried out on the NSC. In early October, the Chornobyl NPP and State Emergency Service personnel managed to implement a number of urgent measures and close the opening in the outer cladding of the confinement. This was important to do before winter to reduce the precipitation penetration inside the structure, but the solution is only temporary. To fully restore the New Safe Confinments functionality, a set of measures should be implemented, including replacing the sealed membranes that ensure a tight connection between the Arch and the concrete structures of the ChNPP and the NSC, as well as restore the complete tightness of the outer cladding, which is an extremely difficult technical task, given the high radiation fields in the work area.

Currently, leading French construction companies Bouygues and Vinci, which designed and built the Arch, are working on restoration options, including an assessment of the time frame, cost, and radiation exposure to personnel. An interim report on potential options, together with the findings of the site assessment work will be presented in London at the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) Assembly meeting.

«Restoring the NSC functionality is a key prerequisite for continuing work on the Shelter Object transforming into an environmentally safe system, and we are sincerely grateful to the donor countries and the EBRD for their long-standing support and partnership. Today, we stand shoulder to shoulder, overcoming new challenges – in particular, the consequences of the hostile occupation of the Chornobyl NPP and the russian drone attack on the NSC. This continued support, in repairing the damage and ensuring long-term safety, is a testament to the true partnership and belief in shared values», commented ChNPP Director General Serhii Tarakanov.

As a reminder, on 14 February 2025, a russian drone attacked the Chornobyl NPP, hitting the NSC and damaging the integrity of the facility. The strike caused significant damage to the Arch cladding and started a fire that took three weeks to extinguish.

The hostile attack caused long-term multi-million-dollar damage to the plant, significantly hampering the implementation of the ChNPP decommissioning program, and in addition, it threatened to provoke new nuclear threats for the entire European continent.

The construction of the New Safe Confinement took more than four years, not including the design process. The cost of the facility was €1.5 billion: 45 donor countries joined forces with Ukraine to fund the project.