The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) has approved the full clearance of a batch of carbon steel from the Chornobyl NPP. The batch weighing almost 20 tonnes, was generated during the dismantling of plant equipment. This is the first batch of materials from Chornobyl NPP to be released back into the national economy, allowing Ukrainian companies to reuse or recycle them.

Before being cleared, the materials were fragmented, decontaminated, and then thoroughly checked at the Free Release Facility FRM-03 using gamma-spectrometric monitoring. The results confirmed residual contamination levels that allow the metal to be reused, as verified by 20 measurement protocols and 10 certificates for the batch.

The Free Release Facility, which survived the 2022 occupation of the plant without damage, entered into industrial operation in September 2025, becoming an important part of the Chornobyl NPP infrastructure supporting the plant’s decommissioning. The facility was established with funding from the European Commission, and can process up to 10 tonnes of materials per day.

Launching this process is an important step not only for the Chornobyl NPP but for Ukraine as a whole. Environmentally, it helps reduce the amount of radioactive waste. Economically, it allows additional funds to be directed to decommissioning activities and helps ease the burden on the State Budget of Ukraine. Most importantly, it demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of Ukraine’s radiation monitoring system.

Next, the Chornobyl NPP plans to expand this process to include materials from the three power units that are currently being decommissioned.