Tests of the damaged nuclear fuel handling table were completed on 2017 New Year's Eve. This was the last factory tests of equipment for the Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2), the project on construction of which is under implementation at the Chernobyl NPP. Following that the equipment will be transported from Germany, where it was manufactured, to Ukraine and delivered to the Chernobyl NPP site.

“By the end of March 2017 we have to finish not only all construction and installation works, but also individual tests, as well as comprehensive testing of separate systems, – Chief Engineer of Safety Improvement Project Andrii Savin informed. – This is necessary in order to start comprehensive “cold” tests of the whole ISF-2 in April.”

The Safety Improvement Project’s Chief Engineer noted that time is running out for implementation of the plans – great scope of work needs to be performed during the first three months of a new year. “The complexity lies in the fact that it will be not only completion of the installation, but diversified testing of several tens of equipment units, at that more than forty units are safety-related equipment according to the SNRIU classification.”

“Cold” tests of equipment using SFA imitators will start at the ISF-2 in April 2017. In line with the approved schedule, “hot” tests with real nuclear fuel will start at the ISF-2 at the end of 2017 following the obtaining of respective permissions from the SNRIU.