Over the past five years, development of the conceptual documents concerning the Chornobyl NPP power units decommissioning was completely finished. Before 2009, ‘The Comprehensive Program of the Chornobyl NPP Decommissioning’ approved by Resolution No. 1747 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 29 November 2000 was the principal national-level document that guided activities for the Chornobyl NPP power units decommissioning and transformation of the Shelter Object into an ecologically safe system.
In 2009, following adoption of the Law of Ukraine titled ‘On the National Program for the Chornobyl NPP Decommissioning and Transformation of the Shelter Object into an Ecologically Safe System’, the Comprehensive Program became out-of-date and ceased to be effective. The National Program describes strategies for decommissioning the Chornobyl NPP units and transformation of the Shelter Object into an ecologically safe system. Also, the document includes estimation of funding needs and a list of top-priority activities (till 2013) required to implement the strategies.
During 2008-2009, the following were developed, approved, and carried into effect:
- ‘Program for ChNPP Units Decommissioning’;
- ‘Health Physics Criteria of the Final Condition Resulting from the ChNPP Decommissioning’. The above documents include a detailed description of the decommissioning activities scheduled
till completion of the process (till 2064) and establish numerical values for radioactive contamination levels at the ChNPP site after the decommissioning completion.
Development of the ‘Project for ChNPP Units Final Shutdown and Mothballing (FSM)’ is in progress. The Project shall become a basic document for obtaining a permission to start the first stage of ChNPP decommissioning activities.
The Project includes a great number of documents. These are 9 separate projects related to mothballing of Units 1,2&3, a set of safety justifications (SAR, EIA, SCR), the Phase Implementation Program to guide the FSM phase activities. The Program is a detailed action plan for the period of 2013-2022.
Development of the ‘Program for Research and Development Support to the Activities for the Chornobyl NPP Decommissioning and Transformation of the Shelter Object into an Ecologically Safe System’ is in progress. ‘The Integrated Program for the SSE ChNPP Radioactive Waste Management’ has been revised.
As per ‘General Provisions on Nuclear Plants Safety’ NP 306.2.141-2008, an operator shall adjust to new conditions an informational support system for decommissioning process prior to start works and operations for a nuclear power plant (unit) decommissioning.
The following were developed and put into operation at the SSE ChNPP:
- CERS database (INFODEC);
- RAW inventory database;
- Integrated Shelter Database (ISDB).
The activities for development and commissioning of the following are in progress:
- integrated system for informational support to decommissioning;
- visualization centre for the Chornobyl NPP decommissioning.