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    To support activities on decommissioning of Chernobyl NPP Units and Shelter transformation into ecologically safe system, a number of international projects are being implemented on Chernobyl NPP site, the detail information of which you can find on our web page. Many of them are under completion and some of them are at the initial stage. Please see below a brief review of current status of the international projects being implemented.

    Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP)
    The Project is financed from Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF). Nowadays, the major attention is focused on works on New Safe Confinement construction. Based on work scope under the contract, they are divided into six license packages (LP). The works on two of them, namely cleanup of construction site and works on arranging tranches, pits, foundations for hoist towers, working platform for the Arch assembling, have been completed. The Arch foundations design within assembling and sliding area is under completion stage. The License Package for major building (LP-5), including foundations, metal structures, casing and technological facilities, was approved in December 2011. The activities on License Package LP-6 are currently being continued envisaging an integration of whole NSC Project. On April 26, 2012, at 26th anniversary of ChNPP accident, the works on the Arch structures assembling were commenced. The completion of NSC construction is expected in 2015. After this, an equally important stage will commence associated with dismantling of “old” Shelter and FCM retrieval and disposal. It is supposed to have hard and strenuous work, for which one should prepare carefully. It is designed for long-term period and associated with large financial expenses.

     

     

     

    On May 4, 2012, the delegation of Rosenergoatom Management (Russia) headed by Mr. Romanov Yevgeniy, General Director, has visited industrial site of Chernobyl NPP. The delegation also included people well-known at ChNPP and now working at Rosenergoatom, namely Mr. Asmolov Vladimir, First Deputy General Director, Mr. Sorokin Nikolay, Deputy General Director – General Inspector.

    During the visit, the guests inspected local zone of Shelter Object (SO), where currently physical works on New Safe Confinement construction are being carried out, got familiar with up-to-date condition of the facility, with results of “Stabilization of unstable building structures” project aimed at improvement of its safety, as well as visited internal premises of the Shelter.

    After familiarization with the site, the meeting was held, where participants discussed a need to preserve and extend advanced experience in assuring safety of nuclear facilities, commonality of problems the operating organizations (operators) facing in both countries, the responsibility of the Chief Designer, General Developer and Scientific Project Manager of NPP Unit for scientific and engineering support of the facility at all stages of lifecycle (including decommissioning), and during accident consequences elimination.

    In the framework of the meeting held, Rosenergoatom Management and SSE ChNPP Administration have discussed a potential to cooperate in improving safety of Chernobyl NPP Units, particularly, issues on sharing the information regarding safety assurance of nuclear facilities, a necessity to perform mutual research-development and design works, etc.

    The first lot consisting of 149 tons of metal structures for central segment of the Arch of the first lift has been delivered to customs warehouses of Chernobyl NPP site. The structures are produced at Italian plant “Chimalay” and delivered to Ukraine by railway.

    As Mr. Vladimir Kashtanov, Chief Engineer of Shelter Implementation Plan Project, informed, the second lot, 1,030 tons, was loaded on ship board on March 14 in Italy and will be delivered to Ukraine by sea. This lot is expected to receive on March 20-25 at Odessa seaport. After unloading, it will be delivered to Chernobyl site by motor transport.

    Physical works on assembling Arch structures will commence in April 2012. The assembling will be carried out at mounting platform built specially for this purpose within local zone of Shelter Object.

    In total, more than 20,000 tons of metal structures will be imported to Ukraine for arched structure of New Safe Confinement.

    The first lot consisting of 149 tons of metal structures for central segment of the Arch of the first lift has been delivered to customs warehouses of Chernobyl NPP site. The structures are produced at Italian plant “Chimalay” and delivered to Ukraine by railway.

    As Mr. Vladimir Kashtanov, Chief Engineer of Shelter Implementation Plan Project, informed, the second lot, 1,030 tons, was loaded on ship board on March 14 in Italy and will be delivered to Ukraine by sea. This lot is expected to receive on March 20-25 at Odessa seaport. After unloading, it will be delivered to Chernobyl site by motor transport.

    Physical works on assembling Arch structures will commence in April 2012. The assembling will be carried out at mounting platform built specially for this purpose within local zone of Shelter Object.

    In total, more than 20,000 tons of metal structures will be imported to Ukraine for arched structure of New Safe Confinement.

    Let us recall that New Safe Confinement is multi-functional complex for Shelter transformation into ecologically safe system. It consists of:
    - main building consisting of arch structure, aperture of which north-southwards is 257.44 m, height is 108.39 m, length is 150 m, foundations, western and eastern end walls, required supporting and auxiliary systems;

    - technological building including sites for decontamination, fragmentation and packaging, sanitary locks, workshops and other process premises;

    - auxiliary buildings.

    To assure nuclear, radiation and common industrial safety of NSC and its efficient operation involving minimum number of operational personnel, it is envisaged to create Integrated Control System of NSC. Also, fire safety and physical protection systems will be created, and communication and television networks will be arranged. Crane equipment will be assembled to provide dismantling of unstable structures.


    NSC construction enables to:

    • improve radiation safety; integrity of NSC cover constrains radiation impact on population, personnel and environment for 100 years of its operation;

    • decrease potential of emergency collapse due to dismantling of unstable structures;

    • decrease consequences from emergency collapse due to enclosing and supporting structures and control systems inside NSC;

    • improve nuclear safety of the Shelter due to excluding ingress of atmospheric moisture onto FCM accumulations that significantly decreases risk of initiating self-sustaining chain reaction;

    • provide implementation of Shelter transformation into ecologically safe system strategy due to service life of NSC structures, ability to dismantle unstable structures of existing Shelter and retrieval of fuel-containing materials.

    New Safe Confinement as multi-functional facility having 100 years of service life will enable in the future to retrieve fuel-containing materials and condition them for subsequent safe storage.

    In 2011 the implementation of IAEA Technical Cooperation Project UKR 3/003 “Chernobyl NPP Units Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management at the Site Including Shelter Object” was completed. It was started in 2009 with the objective to assist the Government of Ukraine in fulfilling the tasks envisaged by a National Program of Chernobyl NPP Decommissioning, as well as in managing radioactive waste at the Chernobyl site.

    The main areas of cooperation within the project were transfer of experience and knowledge in developing ChNPP decommissioning documentation, providing assistance on creation and improvement of RAW management system, including SO radioactive materials, assisting in a cooling pond decommissioning project, and improving enterprise’s management structure.

    1. Centralized Storage Facility becomes a part of integrated complex for SSE ChNPP’s Spent Fuel Management
    2. Centralized Storage Facility becomes a part of integrated complex for SSE ChNPP’s Spent Fuel Management
    3. Ukraine and Japan
    4. IAEA Expert Missions

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