News

: 14 February 2017

The Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Environmental Policy, Nature Resources Utilization and Elimination of the Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe discussed a status of international project implementation on Chernobyl site

On February 8, 2017, a working meeting between Mr. Anatolii Dyriv, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Environmental Policy, Nature Resources Utilization and Elimination of the Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe, Mr. Vince Novak, Director of EBRD Nuclear Safety Department, and Mr. Alexander Slavis, Representative of Chernobyl Shelter Fund and Nuclear Safety Account to Ukraine has been held to discuss a number of issues relating to a status of implementing the international projects on Chernobyl site.

Mr. Vince Novak informed about meetings scheduled for this year of G7 representatives where it is stipulated to discuss a status of implementing the international projects on Chernobyl site.

The EBRD representatives noticed that year 2016 was the outstanding one for Chernobyl projects, and this gives an impetus for effective cooperation of EBRD and Ukraine in 2017.

The participants of the working meeting discussed an issue of work completion according to contract time-tables of the international projects on construction of New Safe Confinement, Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel, Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant and Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management. The issue concerning funding starting from 2018 from the State Budget of Ukraine for operation of the mentioned facilities was also taken into consideration.

The EBRD representatives highly appreciated the progress of Ukrainian party in full implementation of Ukrainian contribution to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund before the end of 2017 which is planned to carry out due to reallocation of savings under the budget programs of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The working meeting participants mentioned the necessity to elaborate additional “emergency” decisions related to ensure acceptance of vitrified high-level radioactive waste for long-term storage.

The EBRD representatives positively perceived the proposal as to hold final meeting of the Assembly of Contributors in Kiev in December 2017.

Adapted from official web-portal of
the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

: 25 January 2017

Project “Procedures and methods for release of materials from regulatory control” is heading into the homestretch

The project U4.01/10E “Procedures and methods for release of materials from regulatory control” funded by the European Commission has completed successfully as per schedule.

Upon completion of the expert review, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (the SNRIU) has issued a positive conclusion regarding the document “Methodology for release of radioactive materials from regulatory control”. The methodology establishes general methodological provisions as basis for the ChNPP and other enterprises, which carry out practical activity in the area of nuclear energy utilization, to elaborate their own definite standards for release of materials from regulatory control.

Development of “Methodology for release of radioactive materials from regulatory control” is one of the key tasks under U4.01/10E project ““Procedures and methods for release of materials from regulatory control”. Previously, in the framework of this project one more task was completed, namely: elaboration of tender dossier for the following stage - design and construction of a facility for release of ChNPP materials. The EC on basis of the developed documentation held a tender; and on 18.12.2015, the appropriate Contract was awarded and now it is being implemented at the ChNPP.

: 25 January 2017

IAEA continues technical cooperation in ChNPP decommissioning and RAW management area

From January 23 till January 27, 2017, a number of events take place at Chornobyl NPP in Slavutych in the framework of the IAEA technical cooperation project UKR9035 “Support to ChNPP Decommissioning and RAW Management”. The implementation of project is scheduled for 2016-2017 and it covers activities associated with support to ChNPP decommissioning, Shelter transformation into an environmentally safe system and establishment of national programme for RAW management.

The IAEA is represented by the manager of national project, Ms Katherine Deufrains, by technical officers in the area of decommissioning, RAW management, safety, area remediation, and by the invited special matter experts.

The main objective of the visit is to summarize the work results under project for 2016, discussion of plans for 2017, and activity scheduling for the following 2018-2019 cycle of technical cooperation.

: 13 January 2017

Chernobyl NPP participates in new project of the European Commission

The European Commission signed a service contract with IDOM Consulting, Engineering and Architecture S.A.U. (Spain), being a leader in the consortium with another Spain company “GRUPPO DOMINGUIS” and Ukrainian Institute for NPP Operation Support (IOS NPP), under the Project “Improvement of National Personnel Training System in RAW Management, Decommissioning and Area Rehabilitation”.

The project is aimed at establishment of the coordinated system of occupational training, re-training and advanced training of personnel in Ukraine who perform activities relating to management of radioactive waste (RAW) and spent ionizing radiation sources (SIRS). Safety of these activities, decommissioning-related operations, rehabilitation of the areas contaminated with radionuclides will be improved by means of improving the personnel training system at all levels.

The State Agency of Exclusion Zone Management of Ukraine is the Beneficiary of the project, and SSE “Chernobyl NPP” and State Higher Educational Establishment “Ukrainian Radiological Training Centre” (URTC) are its end users. It is expected to implement the project during three years.

: 08 January 2017

Factory Acceptance Tests of equipment for ISF-2 completed

Tests of the damaged nuclear fuel handling table were completed on 2017 New Year's Eve. This was the last factory tests of equipment for the Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2), the project on construction of which is under implementation at the Chernobyl NPP. Following that the equipment will be transported from Germany, where it was manufactured, to Ukraine and delivered to the Chernobyl NPP site.

“By the end of March 2017 we have to finish not only all construction and installation works, but also individual tests, as well as comprehensive testing of separate systems, – Chief Engineer of Safety Improvement Project Andrii Savin informed. – This is necessary in order to start comprehensive “cold” tests of the whole ISF-2 in April.”

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