New structure shields destroyed reactor 4.

One of the most ambitious projects in the history of engineering passes a major milestone today as the arch shielding radioactive waste caused by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power station accident has started sliding into place.

Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement (NSC) is the largest moveable land-based structure ever built, with a span of 257 metres, a length of 162 metres, a height of 108 metres and a total weight of 36,000 tonnes equipped.

It will now be moved into its resting place over Chernobyl’s reactor 4 which was destroyed in the accident 30 years ago.

The participants of Roundtable “30 Years of the Shelter Object – 30 Years of the Feat” point out that Shelter object construction was key element within large-scale process of ChNPP accident localization and its consequences elimination. Heroic work of scientists, designers, builders, soldiers and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s employees finalized in the signing of the Deed of Acceptance of the preserved Chornobyl NPP Unit 4 for maintenance by the State Acceptance Commission on November 30, 1986.

Since the moment of its commissioning Shelter object has been performing its mission – limiting the adverse radiation effects on personnel, public and the environment.

To:  Prime-Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov
Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management, Vitalii Petruk

Dear Sirs,

The triumph of Ukraine is drawing near in implementation of measures to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, and to transform the Shelter Object into an environmentally safe system. On 29 November 2016 the giant structure of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) takes its design position over the Shelter Object. There is no doubt that this landmark event attracts the attention of the entire world community. The NSC is an international project, implemented with a strong international support, but largely by the efforts of Ukrainian professionals.

In addition, on 29 November 2016 the Chernobyl NPP has scheduled to hold two events important to Ukraine: meeting of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund’s Assembly of Contributors and Nuclear Safety Account’s Assembly of Donors, where issues of further implementation of the international projects will be discussed, including the issues of funding.

On the 26th of October 2016, ChNPP was visited by Bouygues Company representatives – Chairman & CEO of Bouygues Telecom Olivier Roussat, Deputy CEO of Bouygues Construction Jean-Philippe Trin, and Bouygues Executive Committee member Mark Adler.

As part of the visit, the guests visited the NSC Arch erection site where they received necessary information from Novarka Director Nicolas Caille and ChNPP Director General Igor Gramotkin, as well as reviewed at first hand the progress of works at sites where the most intense works are currently being performed.

On 22 October 2016, a delegation of Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of US Senate Committee on Budget visited ChNPP site, accompanied by the Embassy representatives. The main purpose of the visit was to review the progress of international technical assistance projects at ChNPP site, and in particular the construction of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) and Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility (ISF-2). The projects are financed from CSF and NSA funds, with USA being one of the largest contributors.

As part of the visit, the guests met with managers of the Shelter Implementation Plan Project Management Unit and discussed the current status of the project implementation. The delegation visited the NSC and ISF-2 construction sites where they could review the progress and pace of works at first hand.

The Director General Igor Gramotkin during a meeting at the Shelter Observation Pavilion thanked the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of US Senate Committee on Budget for the constant support of projects aimed at improving safety at ChNPP site, and expressed hope for further cooperation