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    On 8 July 2021, within the framework of the obtained license giving a right to operate the new spent nuclear fuel storage facility (i.e. ISF-2), the first spent fuel of ChNPP was placed for a period of 100-year storage.

    Two canisters with processed fuel, which are already stored now, were put into the concrete storage modules at the end of 2020 during the ISF-2 “hot” tests.

    According to ChNPP Acting Director General Valeriy Seyda, currently far less time was needed for performing all procedures than time taken by the similar works during the “hot” tests. The successful management of ChNPP spent fuel has demonstrated that the technology and technological processes, implemented at ISF-2, comply with the modern requirements of the Ukrainian legislation and IAEA recommendations, meaning the guarantee of the safety for personnel, public and the environment.

    From 21 to 25 June training on radiation safety for specialists from the United States and Great Britain was held at Chornobyl NPP and in the Exclusion zone.

    The training was attended by experts in nuclear, radiation, fire and hazardous materials management safety (USA), as well as the head of the emergency response service of nuclear and environmental regulators in UK. The event was organized by the Chornobyl NPP Radiation Safety Shop, Clean Futures Fund (USA) and Technical Resources Group (USA).

    The programme included both theoretical and practical parts: lectures and exercises on measurements indoors and outdoors. In particular, the participants of the training got acquainted with the peculiarities of radioactive situation at Chornobyl NPP and performed environmental monitoring in Prypyat and Chornobyl, at the pumping station, near the Valeriy Khodemchuk memorial, in the space under NSC Arch and at other locations of the industrial site.

    On this day 20 years ago, Chornobyl NPP officially transformed from the power generating enterprise into the enterprise for decommissioning of power units, and got the status of a State Specialized Enterprise.

    “The enterprise has been established to ensure all types of activity related to decommissioning of power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and to the transformation of the Shelter Object into an environmentally safe system,” – says the Charter of the enterprise about the objective of its activity.

    Of course, SSE ChNPP is not involved in the decommissioning of all the Ukrainian nuclear power units; however the enterprise’s progress on its own site is worth to be acknowledged:

    • Started operation of the new interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility (ISF-2). First 186 spent fuel assemblies have already been placed for storage, and the same will be happening to the other tens of thousands of the assemblies over the next 10-year period.

    On June 8, ChNPP started a 10-year period of spent nuclear fuel transportation from the old storage facility to a new one.

    The green light for this process was given by obtaining all necessary permits and licenses for operation of the new Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2), as well as by the successful hot testing of the facility, during which 186 spent fuel assemblies were transported, processes and placed for storage in test run mode.

    Below there are five key facts you need to know about this process:

    1. The new spent fuel storage facility will accept only fuel from ChNPP.

    On June 7, an enterprise-wide emergency response drill took place on the site of the newly built Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility No.2 (ISF-2).

    Under the exercise scenario, during transportation-and-process operations some breakage of the crane ropes occurred that caused the falling of a transfer cask filled with spent nuclear fuel. As the consequence of this container fall, the radiation background level within the working area became higher.

    In line with the approved formal procedures, ISF-2 personnel were alerted to the radiation hazard and moved to a safe place.

    According to Dmytro Kondratov, Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response Department, the scenario exercised at this drill is very unlikely, but if such a situation occurs, the power plant staff will be prepared for it.

    1. Chornobyl NPP Obtained Permit for LRTP Operation
    2. Permit Obtained for Retrieval of Standard Spent Nuclear Fuel
    3. Meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Policy
    4. Refutation of the information about potential risks

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