By this time the second double-walled canister (DWC) has been filled with spent nuclear fuel (SNF). For this purpose, 93 spent fuel assemblies (SFAs) were transported from the old SNF wet-type storage facility (ISF-1) during the last days of November. According to the ChNPP SNF management technology, each assembly was cut into two bundles, placed into fuel tubes and then into the DWC. 

Within the next two weeks the staff responsible for the ChNPP SNF management will seal the DWC: i.e. welding of the internal lid, gas and vacuum drying, filling the canister with helium, sealing of the internal lid, welding of the external lid, filling the space between DWC shells with helium and sealing of the canister’s external lid..

In the course of all these stages, the quality of sealing weld joints will be continuously monitored by visual check and liquid penetrant test of weld joints. Following the DWC filling with helium, air-tightness of the DWC vessel internal and external shells will be checked.

As a reminder, the first DWC was loaded into the ISF-2 concrete storage module on November 18 this year. As of December 1, 186 SFAs were transported from ISF-1 to ISF-2.

On November 30, 1986, the Deed of the State Acceptance Commission on commissioning of a protective structure above the destroyed Unit 4 of Chornobyl NPP was signed, it was named the Shelter object (hereinafter - SO). And this year is the 34th anniversary of the completion of perhaps the most dangerous and complex construction process in the history of domestic nuclear energy. Here are some interesting facts about the features of this facility, which for 30 years, until New Safe Confinement sliding, has become a physical barrier from the destroyed as a result of the accident Unit.

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On November 29, 2016, the official ceremony of New Safe Confinement (NSC) Arch installing in the design position took place. This event was preceded by four years of hard and painstaking, without exaggeration - creative work of Chornobyl NPP team, the main construction contractor, NOVARKA joint venture (consortium consisting of two French companies: Bouygues and Vinci), a number of foreign and Ukrainian subcontractor organizations, research institutions at institutes.

To build NSC, 45 donor countries have joined efforts with Ukraine in a specially established fund administrated by EBRD and pledged more than 1.5 billion euros. In total, 10,000 employees from 40 countries, 5,000 of them Ukrainians, were involved in the project. 

The ceremonial event was preceded by four years of the Arch structure construction, which was intended to cover Chornobyl Unit 4 destroyed as a result of the accident, and two dramatic weeks of NSC Arch construction sliding on the Shelter object. A huge structure weighing 36.2 thousand tons using the complex jacks system was moved along the special foundations for sliding 327 meters and installed in the design position.

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Following the Order of the President of Ukraine No.87/2020 on prevention of the COVID-19 spreading and pursuant to the Protocol of the extraordinary meeting of the Slavutych Permanent Commission on Technogenic-Environmental Safety and Emergencies No.15 dated 29.10.2020, the ChNPP Administration made a decision to switch the plant staff to a special working time pattern from November 2 till November 15, 2020.

Only operational personnel who provides the nuclear and radiation safety of the site and security of its facilities, and the personnel associated with life-support of SSE ChNPP facilities, will remain at their workplaces.

In addition, the Chornobyl NPP restricts the information visits of people from all over the world to the ChNPP site at least until November 30, 2020.

Moreover the ChNPP Administration will restrict international business trips of its staff and technical visits of international specialists to the ChNPP site.