The regular Assemblies of Chernobyl Shelter Fund and Nuclear Safety Account contributing countries took place at Chernobyl NPP on November 29.

The main topic of the CSF Assembly discussion was a progress in New Safe Confinement construction project, the Arch of which is set in the design position over ChNPP Unit 4 destroyed due to beyond-design-basis accident.

Mr. Hans Blix, the Chairman of the Assembly of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund Contributors, has mentioned that NSC Arch sliding is really historical event since the New Safe Confinement would enable to protect Ukraine and the world in future against nuclear hazard: “After 30 years since tragedy, the pain and scale of losses are still biggish. However, the recovery process is being continued. Junction of two halves of the big arch, installation of mammoth cover over historical reactor is like repair of a wound, a nuclear wound, concerning us all.”

IAEA expert mission "Reuse and changing the purpose of the emptied facilities for the decommissioning needs" was held in November 16 - 18 at ChNPP Training Center in Slavutich town.

The main purpose of the mission was sharing of experience and study of the best international practices in reuse of nuclear sites for other purposes. Chernobyl NPP’s specialists presented ChNPP approaches and plans for reuse of site area and repurposing of the existing buildings and structures for industrial development in the field of radioactively contaminated material, Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management.

New structure shields destroyed reactor 4.

One of the most ambitious projects in the history of engineering passes a major milestone today as the arch shielding radioactive waste caused by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power station accident has started sliding into place.

Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement (NSC) is the largest moveable land-based structure ever built, with a span of 257 metres, a length of 162 metres, a height of 108 metres and a total weight of 36,000 tonnes equipped.

It will now be moved into its resting place over Chernobyl’s reactor 4 which was destroyed in the accident 30 years ago.

The participants of Roundtable “30 Years of the Shelter Object – 30 Years of the Feat” point out that Shelter object construction was key element within large-scale process of ChNPP accident localization and its consequences elimination. Heroic work of scientists, designers, builders, soldiers and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s employees finalized in the signing of the Deed of Acceptance of the preserved Chornobyl NPP Unit 4 for maintenance by the State Acceptance Commission on November 30, 1986.

Since the moment of its commissioning Shelter object has been performing its mission – limiting the adverse radiation effects on personnel, public and the environment.

To:  Prime-Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov
Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management, Vitalii Petruk

Dear Sirs,

The triumph of Ukraine is drawing near in implementation of measures to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, and to transform the Shelter Object into an environmentally safe system. On 29 November 2016 the giant structure of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) takes its design position over the Shelter Object. There is no doubt that this landmark event attracts the attention of the entire world community. The NSC is an international project, implemented with a strong international support, but largely by the efforts of Ukrainian professionals.

In addition, on 29 November 2016 the Chernobyl NPP has scheduled to hold two events important to Ukraine: meeting of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund’s Assembly of Contributors and Nuclear Safety Account’s Assembly of Donors, where issues of further implementation of the international projects will be discussed, including the issues of funding.