On November 24, 2012, at the Chernobyl NPP Shelter Object site the first lifting of the East part of the Arch with weight of 5,300 t up to height of 22 m was performed. This has become another achievement in constructing the New Safe Confinement. In total, three lifting operations will be performed for the East part of the Arch.

On 23^rd of November metal structures of the Arch and the jacking system were completely inspected. The load of 100% was imposed on this system by lifting the Arch for 100 mm. Following that, operability of the jacking system was controlled and geodetic survey of position of the Arch’s metal structures and foundations was carried out.

The lifting operations are performed using 40 strand jacks, placed at 10 lifting towers. Each tower is 45 m high.

A great scope of preparatory works was implemented prior to the first lifting of the Arch. The area was cleaned-up from trees, bushes and construction debris, resulted from dismantling of buildings and structures. More than 57,733 m³of technological materials and solid RAW was removed from the Shelter Object industrial site. The Arch’s foundations, lifting towers and the erection area’s platforms of 57,667 m² in area were constructed.

On November 24, 2012, at the Chernobyl NPP Shelter Object site the first lifting of the East part of the Arch with weight of 5,300 t up to height of 22 m was performed. This has become another achievement in constructing the New Safe Confinement. In total, three lifting operations will be performed for the East part of the Arch.

On 23^rd of November metal structures of the Arch and the jacking system were completely inspected. The load of 100% was imposed on this system by lifting the Arch for 100 mm. Following that, operability of the jacking system was controlled and geodetic survey of position of the Arch’s metal structures and foundations was carried out.

The lifting operations are performed using 40 strand jacks, placed at 10 lifting towers. Each tower is 45 m high.

A great scope of preparatory works was implemented prior to the first lifting of the Arch. The area was cleaned-up from trees, bushes and construction debris, resulted from dismantling of buildings and structures. More than 57,733 m³ of technological materials and solid RAW was removed from the Shelter Object industrial site. The Arch’s foundations, lifting towers and the erection area’s platforms of 57,667 m² in area were constructed.

In November this year State Nuclear Regulation Inspectorate of Ukraine initiated state expertise of Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the SSE ChNPP’s Design “New Safe Confinement (NSC). Start-up complex – 1 (SC-1). Licensing Package -6 (LP-6). Design “Protective structure with technological life support systems and necessary infrastructure”.

Expertise is performed on the demand of SE “Ukrderzhbudexpertise” as part of the expertise of this Design, which will be reviewed for compliance to the requirement for construction, fire safety, sanitary legislation, environment protection and occupational safety. Completion of the expertise of Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Licensing Package LP-6 documents is expected by the end of 2012.

For information. Licensing Package LP-6: Design of the first start-up complex of the New Safe Confinement of the Shelter object (SC-1 NSC) as a whole includes LP-5 (NSC Arch, Arch foundations, sheeting, system of the main cranes, structural elements), technological life support systems and  necessary infrastructure.
SC-1 Design in November 2011 passed comprehensive expertise as part of Licensing Package LP-5 and in early December 2011 was approved by the Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine.
Joint Company NOVARKA – Contractor of SSE ChNPP, performs works within LP-5.

Workshop on "Solution of the problem issues connected to Chernobyl NPP reactors preservation" was held in Slavutich since October 30 till November 1, 2012 within the framework of the IAEA technical cooperation.

According to preliminary assessment the stage of Chernobyl NPP final shutdown and preservation will start in 2014 and will be implemented within 10 years (until 2024). The main purpose of this stage is to put the reactors in the state, excluding their use for electricity generation, as well as ensure safe storage of radioactive substances and presented in them ionizing radiation sources.

At present time ChNPP is close to completion of the document "Design of Chernobyl Units final shutdown and preservation (FSP)". This design will be the basic document for permission obtaining to start decommissioning work at Chernobyl at the first stage. One of the main design documents is the design of reactors preservation. It should be developed for all three Chernobyl power units simultaneously, as they have a similar construction and are approximately at the same stage of decommissioning.

Today in Ukraine there are no regulatory requirements to the design documentation for nuclear facilities preservation. That is why on the initiative of Chernobyl NPP IAEA organized the workshop to study best international practice in decommissioned facilities preservation. Sharing of experience will allow identify weaknesses or deficiencies in the design of the final shutdown and preservation of Chernobyl units, to minimize them or to provide compensatory measures at the early stage.

Specialists from UK, Italy, France and IAEA were invited as the experts. Besides ChNPP specialists representatives from Exclusion zone enterprises and SNRIU also took part in this workshop.