Today, on the Day of Honouring the Participants in the Liquidation of the Consequences of the Chornobyl Accident, commemorative events were held on the Chornobyl NPP site to honour the heroes who risked their lives to overcome the consequences of one of the largest man-made disasters in human history. This day, established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 10 November 2006, annually recalls the feat of the liquidators who in 1986 stood in the way of the radiation threat.
The accident at the Chornobyl NPP on 26 April 1986 led to the release of a massive amount of radioactive substances, which affected the health of millions of people and the environment in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and other European countries. Liquidators – firefighters, military personnel, engineers, and ordinary citizens – worked under conditions of extreme risk, constructing the “sarcophagus” over the destroyed reactor, decontaminating the territory, and evacuating the population. Many of them paid for this with their health or their lives.
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 State Specialised Enterprise Chornobyl NPP and the French company Framatome will strengthen their cooperation in the fields of nuclear safety, decommissioning, radioactive waste management, and long-term site management. One of the areas of joint work will focus on attracting international funding for the implementation of projects at the Chornobyl NPP.