The Ukrainian government on June 22 approved amendments to the national program for shutting down Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) and transforming the Shelter facility into an environment friendly system with the action plan for 2017-2020. The government would propose to the Verkhovna Rada to endorse the relevant bill, Ukraine’s Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry has reported.
Ecology and Natural Resources Minister of Ukraine Ostap Semerak said that this would allow starting mothball works for reactors one, two and three, launch the spent nuclear fuel facility two and start works to transport spent nuclear fuel from facility one in 2017-2020.
The ministry said that the adoption of the law would also enable the decommissioning of the cooling reservoir, the complete dismantling of the first stage of the nuclear power plant’s engine room, completing the construction of a New Safe Confinement (NSC), and creating the conditions for the safe storage of damaged nuclear fuel.
Semerak said that the national program for shutting down Chornobyl NPP and transforming the Shelter facility into an environment friendly system was approved in law in 2009. The priority plan for 2009-2012 outlined in the program is completed.
“It is necessary to make changes to the program to ensure the unconditional implementation of the works planned for the period until 2065 and budget financing of this activities until 2020,” the minister said.
He recalled that in 2015, the final mothball phase was started, which is planned to be completed in 2028.
Semerak also said that the implementation of the program in due time is possible only if the sufficient funding is provided. According to him, a lack of financing would result in an increase in the duration of the final shut down and mothball phase and, as a consequence, the need to allocate additional funds for further safe maintenance of Chornobyl NPP reactors and the Shelter facility.
