New 31,000-Ton Chernobyl Containment Structure Takes Shape

---

Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The New Safe Containment (NSC) structure is now starting to rise over the ruins of the nuclear power block at Chernobyl 4 in Ukraine. The massive steel arch will replace a sarcophagus, which was built after the disastrous explosion at the plant in 1986, which sent a cloud of radioactive fallout over Europe and forced the evacuation of 115,000 people from the region surrounding the plant.

The arched structure is 108 meters high, 257 meters wide and 150 meters long. It will be assembled on concrete rails and slid into place over the ruins. Construction started in April after the first batch of steel was delivered to the site in March. About 20,000 tons of steel will be used on the project.

Last week, the first section of arched steel was raised to an initial height of 22 meters. Cladding was installed on this section in October. The 5,300-ton section will form part of the top of the arch. Further sections will now be attached to extend the arch after two more lifting operations. The initial section will be raised to a height of more than 100 meters.

The first segments of the arch were pre-assembled on the ground in a construction area close to the reactor site. About 55,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil were removed from this area, and a 90,000-square-meter concrete work area was laid over it.

Once the first half is completed, it will be moved into a holding area in front of the reactor housing, while the sections of the second half are assembled. The two halves will then be joined. The complete structure will have 86,000 square meters of cladding.

The second stage also will involve installing cranes and other infrastructure for dismantling the existing shell and the removal of fuel. The assembly of the structure of the NSC is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014 and the installation of systems will be executed in 2014-15.

Following the completion of the second stage, the structure, which weighs about 31,000 tons, will be pushed over Unit 4, and part of the turbine hall will use hydraulic jacks. This three-day operation is scheduled before the end of 2015. End walls will then he be built to strengthen and seal the NSC. This will serve to confine dust and debris during the dismantling process and provide protection against harsh weather.

The NSC project is funded by the international community through donations from the European Bank for reconstruction and development. The NSC is designed to last a minimum of 100 years, by which time most of the decommissioning work on Unit 4 should be completed.

A contract for the design and construction of the project was signed in September 2007 with the Novarka consortium formed by Bouygues S.A. (Paris, France).

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.