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    On May 6, the main stage of Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2) integrated testing with use of spent fuel assembly (SFA) dummies started at the ChNPP industrial site.

    The testing includes the receiving of a railcar from ISF-1, processing of 9 dummies (namely detaching the lower and upper spent fuel bundles, inserting the dummies into the fuel storage tubes and double-wall shielding canisters (DWC)). The SSE ChNPP personnel participate in the ISF-2 integrated testing while the representatives of the SNRIU and the SSTC NRS witness this testing.

    The completed individual testing of the majority of systems, namely main process systems for handling a transfer cask, SFAs, fuel storage tubes, DWCs etc. enabled to carry out this stage of testing.

    From May 18, within the framework of ISF-2 integrated testing with dummies it is scheduled to carry out the primary procedure qualification of welding technique which will be used for DWC handling.

    The IAEA Expert Mission is drawing to a close, held at Chornobyl NPP to address the issues regarding the process materials accumulated at the Temporary Storage Site for Process Materials (TSSPM) and the future use of the site.

    During 3 days the IAEA experts have been discussing the work execution procedures when operating the site, characteristics, including radiation ones, and the current amount of process materials stored at the TSSPM, as well as details of radioactive contamination of the area and facilities around the site. Furthermore, ways for future handling of process materials and the necessary measures for environmental protection around the TSSPM have been outlined.

    FYI. In 2003 SSE ChNPP approved the decision on temporary storage or reuse for backfilling of the materials resulting form excavation works performed during facilities construction within the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP). It allowed to significantly reduce time necessary for materials management and thus reduced the New Safe Confinement overall construction time. In addition, this approach made it possible to significantly reduce the number of materials that had to be delivered from outside of the site for the construction of the NSC.

    April 26, 2019, Volodymyr Groysman carried out a working visit to Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and Chornobyl NPP. The delegation accompanying Volodymyr Groysman during this visit included Mr. Ostap Semerak, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the deputies of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr. Hryhorii Plachkov, the SNRIU Head, Mr.Vitalii Petruk, the SAUEZM Head, Mr. Yuriy Nedashkovsky, SE NNEGC Energoatom President, Mr. Oleksandr Tereshchuk, the Head of Kyiv Region State Administration and Mr. Yurii Fomichev, Slavutych Mayor.

    The Prime-Minister and the people that accompanied him paid the tribute to memory of the people, who eliminated the consequences of the accident at ChNPP, by laying the flowers at the foot of the monument to the Heroes of Chornobyl near Chornobyl NPP Administrative Building No.1.

    Within the framework of the working visit the Prime-Minister went to the New Safe Confinement Process Building where recently the 72-hour comprehensive testing (field trial) of the first Commissioning Stage (CS-1) of NSC has been completed. The detailed information on the project progress was provided to him by the SSE ChNPP Acting Director Serhii Kalashnyk.

    ІV International Conference on Nuclear Decommissioning and Environment Recovery INUDECO 2019 got started on April 25 within the framework of the activities dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the Chornobyl NPP accident.

    The Conference is held to address problems and perspectives, increase the efficiency level of scientific and practical research, establish cooperation and exchange of experience in decommissioning of nuclear facilities and environmental recovery.

    150 representatives from Ukraine, Norway, Denmark, France, Japan and Spain have participated in the Conference.

    The First Deputy Director General of SSE ChNPP Valeriy Seyda in his welcome speech addressed the participants. The key speakers opened the conference: Oleg Nasvit — First Deputy Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management; Yurii Fomichev – Mayor of Slavutych; Anatolii Nosovskyi — Director of Institute for Safety Problems of NPPs, NAS of Ukraine; Niels-Kristian Mark — Senior Scientific Officer of Institute for Energy Technology (IFE, Norway), Technical Project Manager of “Creation and Development of Chornobyl Decommissioning Visualization Center (CDVC)”; Mark Zhelezniak and Shigekazu Hirao — Fukushima University (Japan).

    On April 22 the New Safe Confinement was transferred to trial operation mode. During the trial operation practically all NSC equipment and systems will be operated in the design mode within 72 hours. The goal of the trial operation is to make sure that all equipment and devices are operated in the design mode and perform their functions. In addition, such operation will allow checking the level of ChNPP's personnel qualification gained during the training.

    The test subject during the trial operation is the conditional dismantling of SO unstable structures.

    The first stage of the trial operation was devoted to the testing of the main cranes system (hereinafter: MCS): movement of carriages from bridge cranes to maintenance garages (northern and southern garages).

    During the second testing day the MCS crane run-way beams were inspected and movement of two cranes (western and eastern) over the Shelter Object roof was tested. After that dismantling, lifting and movement to the temporary storage site of a metal truss, established during the Shelter Object stabilization measures, was simulated.

    1. Members of the Central Executive Authorities Visit ChNPP
    2. WANO Member Support Mission starts at Chornobyl NPP
    3. Mural will be created at ChNPP
    4. A New Director at ChNPP

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