On 14 December, in the presence of the IAEA inspectors, the second double-walled canister filled with spent nuclear fuel was loaded into the concrete storage module (CSM) at ISF-2 site for long term storage. Upon the completion of the transfer and loading process, the IAEA inspectors put their seal to the loaded CSM cell.

“During the “hot tests” at ISF-2, 186 spent fuel assemblies were transferred to the facility, processed and placed to the storage area. Consequently, we have performed all the scheduled operations with SFAs provided for by the ISF-2 Commissioning Programme”, - said ChNPP’s Acting Director General Volodymyr Pieskov.

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14 December - On the Day of Honoring the Participants of the Liquidation of the Consequences of the Chornobyl Disaster – representatives of the central executive bodies visited the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and Chornobyl NPP, including the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovskyi, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko, Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine Hryhorii Plachkov, accompanied by the Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management Sergii Kalashnyk, ChNPP's Acting Director General Volodymyr Pieskov, and ChNPP management.

Participants of the visit honored memory of liquidators of consequences of the Chornobyl Disaster, laying flowers to the monument dedicated to the memory of Chornobyl Heroes near the Administrative Building No.1 of Chornobyl NPP.

Volodymyr Pieskov emphasized the following: “On this day I would like to honor those in particular who stayed in the workplaces and went on carrying out their duty in the first hours of the catastrophe, and by doing so helped maintain order and peace, and hence save many people's health and lives. You and your colleagues are true heroes who didn't lose confidence, sense of responsibility and duty during tragic hours. Such kind of people make our world a safer and more enduring place. Bow low to you and our sincere gratitude!”.

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On 9 December, an online meeting within the EU-funded project “Support to the Management of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation in Ukraine” (INSC) was held on development of the Strategic Road Map for projects of the RAW Sector Working Group, with participation of the Chornobyl NPP management, as well as representatives of EC’s DEVCO, Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of Energy, Ukrainian Science and Technology Centre, State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management, SE NNEGC Energoatom, SSE Radon Association, SSE Central RAW Management Enterprise, and SSE Ecocentre.

The Road Map is supposed to contain all the information needed both by the Government and the donors for decision making on the implementation of programmes and their sub-programmes and projects structured around priorities.

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At the Donor Assembly of the Nuclear Safety Account (NSA), which was held online, representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ukrainian delegation informed the NSA’s donor-countries about the status of the international projects being implemented at the Chornobyl NPP site, particularly about the Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2) and the Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (LRTP).

The Ukrainian delegation was led by the Minister of the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovsky. Also this event was attended by the Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management Serhii Kalashnyk, the Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine Hryhorii Plachkov, the Acting Director General of the SSE “Chornobyl NPP” Volodymyr Pieskov, and other representatives of the government delegation.

Mr. Abramovsky stated that Ukraine is interested in the successful implementation of the ISF-2 project and completion of the “hot” tests in due time; and Ukraine is making every effort to achieve this objective. This storage facility enables to proceed with the transportation of spent nuclear fuel from the old wet storage facility ISF-1 to ISF-2, and ensure its long term and safe storage. Commencement of the ISF-2 “hot” tests is a big win towards the nuclear and radiation safety of Ukraine.

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