On 21st March the Chernobyl NPP was visited for information purposes by a delegation led by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Natural Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany Mrs. Barbara Hendricks.

Nuclear safety issues and efficient implementation of G7 tasks on transformation of the ChNPP facilities into a safe state were discussed within the framework of the joint visit with the participation of Acting Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Mrs. Hanna Vronska, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management Mr. Vitalii Petruk and Chairman of the SNRIU Mr. Serhii Bozhko.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Authority issued to the State Specialized Enterprise Chernobyl NPP an individual permission of Series ED No.000033\10 for operation of the Integrated Automated Monitoring System (IAMS) of the Shelter Object.

The IAMS is designed for automated monitoring of the Shelter conditions and improvement of nuclear, radiation and general occupational safety of this object including emergency preparedness.

On March 11, a meeting of Joint Committee “Ukraine – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)” was held relating to implementation of international assistance projects on preparing Chernobyl NPP for decommissioning and Shelter transformation into environmentally safe system funded from Nuclear Safety Account and Chernobyl Shelter Fund administrated by EBRD on the instructions of donor countries.

On 12th March 2016 the ChNPP industrial site was visited by EBRD’s Acting Vice President for Policy and Partnerships Mr. Alain Pilloux accompanied by Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Mr. Francis Malige and Director of Nuclear Safety Department Mr. Vince Novak, and by other official representatives of EBRD. 

The visit was made at the invitation of a directorate of Novarka, the company which is constructing the New Safe Confinement at the site. It should be reminded that this project is financed from the funds accumulated by donor countries into the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and administrated by the EBRD.

During 23-25 February 2016, the site acceptance tests (SAT) on the project “Establishment of Chernobyl NPP Decommissioning Visualization Centre” were brought to a successful conclusion at ChNPP site. Beside the ChNPP professionals, Project Leader and Senior Engineer of the project from the Institute for Energy Technologies of Norway (IFE) also participated in the SAT.

As part of the project, ChNPP received computer and health physics equipment in December 2015. In addition to standard software, supplied together with PCs, IFE designed special software to create scenarios and visualize decommissioning activities. The total scope of supply was UAH 150,000.

The equipment and software will be used to introduce modern technologies of 3D modeling, to visualize Chernobyl NPP decommissioning process, will enable planning and training of personnel, planning and monitoring of radiation doses, as well as visualization of radiation scenarios to implement various tasks. The use of visualization centres is one of the most widespread trends which allow to reduce radiation doses of personnel at nuclear power plants and to improve safety of activities.

IFE representatives conducted training for ChNPP personnel, which will be involved in CDVC operation, on the use of the designed software, as well as introduced the capabilities of the Centre to the managers of the main ChNPP shops and departments.

On the 25th of February the final meeting was held on the project which was implemented as part of the Agreement which had been signed on the 30th November 2012 between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on cooperation in nuclear and radiation safety, ChNPP decommissioning and Shelter Object transformation into ecologically safe system. The project was funded by Norwegian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Contractor of the project was Institute for Energy Technologies of Norway (IFE). Participants of the meeting discussed the possibilities of future cooperation between ChNPP and IFE under the intergovernmental Agreement mentioned above.