During October 1-3, 2013, a technical workshop “Results of Activity Related to ChNPP Cooling Pond Decommissioning Options” is taking place in Kiev. The workshop is arranged under performance of IAEA Technical Cooperation Project UKR/9/030 “Assisting ChNPP in Decommissioning and Safe Management of Radioactive Waste”.

The surveys and pre-design developments carried out during last years to determine a strategy of Cooling Pond (CP) decommissioning showed that implementation of this project will enable not only to reduce capital and operational costs related to control nominal water level in the cooling pond, but also reduce amount of radioactively contaminated waters being generated as a result of continuous water-logging of lower premises of ChNPP Units, mitigate the risks associated with potential failure of protecting dam and reduce carry-over of radioactive substances from CP in Pripyat river due to more filtration of the pond. 

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On September 28, 2013, the ChNPP personnel completed the works on removing conditioned spent nuclear fuel from Chernobyl NPP Unit 1. 

The works were commenced on December 22, 2011. During this period, 1,333 spent fuel assemblies (SFA) were transferred from Unit 1 to Compartment 5 of Interim Storage Facility 1 cooling pool. 

The works on releasing Chernobyl NPP Unit 2 from conditioned spent nuclear fuel were completed in November 2012 and in September 2010 for Unit 3. Prior to work performance on SNF discharge, the plant personnel developed and implemented ISF-1 modernization design aimed at improving safety of this facility in accordance with the requirements of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. 

Manufacturing of separate types of equipment required for SNF discharge by ChNPP personnel efforts ensured essential time and budget savings. Particularly, the plant departments produced 3,294 “short” canisters. 

Nowadays, the ChNPP personnel work together to address an issue on handling damaged nuclear fuel remained at Units 1 and 2.

On the 25^th of August the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Fumio Kishida made a technical visit to the Exclusion Zone area and the Chernobyl NPP site itself.

During a meeting at the ChNPP Model Hall the guests received from the ChNPP General Director Igor Gramotkin the general information on work status at the industrial site of the Plant, progress of international projects aimed at the Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system.

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On August 2, 2013, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has issued to SSE ChNPP a separate permit of ОД No.000033/7 series to perform works on commissioning of New Ventilation Stack (NVS) of ChNPP Stage II.

Pursuant to this permit, the NVS will be commissioned in accordance with “Decision on Commissioning of New Ventilation Stack of SSE ChNPP Stage II” and “Program of Commissioning of New Ventilation Stack and Relevant Systems of SSE ChNPP Stage II” approved on July 4, 2013.

During work performance on NVS commissioning, the SSE ChNPP should provide permanent control for volumetric activity of air around Shelter Object when changing the ventilation system modes and closing ventilation stack VS-2 orifice, and following completion of NVS pilot operation stage, ensure compliance with a criterion of air flow rate through Shelter Object bypass.

For information. As far as available ventilation stack of ChNPP Stage II (VS-2) impedes the arrangement of NVS eastern end wall, the activities on constructing new ventilation stack with simultaneous partial reconstruction of available ventilation systems and radiation monitoring system were started in 2010 to make provision for consumers of Unit 3, Liquid and Solid Radwaste Storage Facility and Shelter Object (following VS-2 dismantling). The NVS commissioning should take precedence of VS-2 dismantling commencement.