Three-days expert mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency at Chornobyl NPP, organized within the framework of the Technical Cooperation Project UKR9038 "Support to Nuclear Power Units decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management at Chornobyl NPP site and within the Exclusion zone" was completed on July 26.
The purpose of the mission is to review the Feasibility Study (FS) for creation and location of new facilities for radioactively contaminated materials management on compliance with IAEA standards.
Significant volume of radioactive materials, namely, different categories and types of liquid and solid radwaste, radioactively contaminated soils, demolished concrete and metal structures and equipment, cables, as well as construction waste (garbage, fragments of concrete, reinforced concrete, metal constructions) is generated in process of ChNPP power units decommissioning and Shelter object transformation into environmentally safe system.
The analysis of accumulated volumes of radioactive materials and forecast of their further formation shows that the existing infrastructure capacity isn’t enough. In addition, the used technologies do not cover all types and categories of radioactive materials, do not allow for management and costs optimization.
To solve these problems, the existing system of radioactive materials management at ChNPP should be improved by creating new facilities for its management. The Feasibility Study is the first stage in new additional infrastructure facilities creation and designing.
In one of the mission day, July 25, experts visited the key facilities referred to the mission subject: Interim Storage Facility No.2, New Safe Confinement and main Plant’s building. ChNPP Turbine Hall was the key point, where preparatory work to create Radioactive Waste Storage Facility is underway.
Based on the mission results End of Mission Report with recommendations will be developed, which will form the basis for further path forward.
