Ukraine is looking for financing to dismantle the Shelter’s unstable structures
The sources of financing the work on dismantling unstable structures and handling fuel-containing materials at the Shelter Structure remain uncertain
Oleksii Orzhel, Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Balthasar Lindauer, Director of the EBRD’s Nuclear Safety Department discussed a number of aspects concerning implementation of international technical assistance projects on the Chornobyl NPP site, the Ministry’s Press Service reports.
In particular, they discussed the Shelter Structure, spent nuclear fuel storage on the Chornobyl NPP site, and other aspects of cooperation.
According to the Ministry, the uncertainty with regard to financing presently affects not only the dismantling of unstable structures and handling of fuel-containing materials at the Shelter Structure but also the creation of a comprehensive system of handling radioactive materials with the construction of new radioactive waste handling plants and other.
The Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection is interested in establishing a joint working group for the roadmap of cooperation between Ukraine and international organizations, featuring international experts and Ukrainian representatives, which was proposed at the Assembly of Donors of Chornobyl Confinement Fund in July of this year and supported by EBRD.
As reported earlier, Chornobyl NPP Specialized State Enterprise signed in July a contract with the winner of a tender for the dismantling of the Shelter’s unstable structures. The work on dismantling unstable structures (the so-called “early dismantling”) is expected to start after the commissioning of the New Safe Confinement and finish by the end of 2023.
