The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant today

   On the given page the short review of a modern condition of the State specialized enterprise of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (SSE ChNPP), and also the review of works which is carried out by the personnel of nuclear plant today is presented. The prepared material has a general view without deepening in a detail of carried out activity on ChNPP. For receiving more detailed information and technical details of the described activity official site of ChNPP (chnpp.gov.ua) is recommended to visit.

View on the Chernobyl NPP and object "Shelter" in 15 years
(1992 at the left and 2008 on the right)

The characteristic of the ChNPP

   The territory, on which the industrial infrastructure of the Chernobyl NPP today takes places, has the name «Industrial site of the ChNPP». On classification of the lands of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and Zone unconditional (obligatory) resettlement, these territories concern "an industrial part" zones.
   The total area of an industrial part of the Exclusion Zone makes nearby 54 000 hectare. The main feature of these lands is considerable levels of radioactive pollution of industrial site Average values of levels of ground surface contamination by plutonium isotopes makes nearby 300 000 Bq/m², thus on 20000 hectares of ChNPP territory pollution levels on plutonium exceed 4 000 000 Bq/m². In the given territories full deactivation is impossible.
   The territory of a building site of the third turn of ChNPP is fixed to SSE ChNPP (according to the certificate of siting) which total area makes an order of 3 600 hectare. Technological elements of ChNPP are also a reservoir-cooler and hydroconstructions which adjoin to ChNPP from the southeast. It is worth to note other reservoirs which is near the Chernobyl NPP– the river Pripyat, lake Azbuchin. Around placing of station the river Pripyat has width about hundred meters and proceeds on an artificial channel.
   The territory surrounding industrial site of ChNPP also has high levels of radioactive pollution (¹³⁷Cs to 4x10⁷ Bq/m², ⁹⁰Sr to 3,5x10⁷ Bq/m²; isotopes of plutonium to 8x10⁴ Bq/m²).

3D-model of Chernobyl NPP industrial
The author of the model is S.Podbereznyj, Institute for safety problems of NPPs NAS of Ukraine

Activity on the ChNPP

   SSE ChNPP, after stopping of the 3rd power unit in 2000, is in a routine of the termination and removal from operation. The termination of electric power development by Chernobyl NPP has been carried out on the basis of signed by the Government of Ukraine "the Memorandum of mutual understanding between the governments of the Big seven, the Commission of the European community and the Government of Ukraine on closing of the Chernobyl NPP".
   On all reactors of ChNPP works on the termination from operation are carried out.
   The total amount of the personnel of SSE ChNPP is of an order of 3,5 thousand persons for today. The significant amount of the personnel of contractors also is involved in works on ChNPP (about 2 thousand persons).
   Within the limits of preparation for removal from operation of the Chernobyl NPP new objects are constructed on the industrial site. So in 2001 on the industrial site of ChNPP the industrially-heating boiler-house has been constructed.
   One of the major tasks which are carried out by the Chernobyl NPP is creation of industrial installations for management with liquid and solid radioactive waste which have been turned out during operation of ChNPP, and also those radwaste which were formed during works on removal of ChNPP from operation.
   It is necessary to note, that works on ChNPP's decommissioning are carried out on the basis of "Concepts of decommissioning of ChNPP's power units" which provides, that before the beginning of a stage of definitive closing of ChNPP following objects should be created:

• Liquid radwaste treatment plant (LRTP);
• Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage (SNFS - 2),
• Industrial complex for solid radwaste management (ICSRM);
• The storage for temporal store of high level radwaste (HLR) and many other installations should be organized.

   Realization of these projects is carried out at the expense of the international help to Ukraine on decommissioning of ChNPP, and also the State budget of Ukraine.
   The decommissioning will be carried out by a variant of the postponed dismantle that means long ageing in the preserved condition of such elements of the power unit as reactors etc. The general term of ageing of the given elements can be from 50 till 100 years.
   According to approaches which are stated in specified «The Concept …», the ultimate goal of decommissioning of the Chernobyl NPP is the condition which has received the name «a brown stain». Finally it is expected that all equipment of ChNPP will be dismantled and deactivated (to acceptable level) all polluted designs and constructions.

Liquid radwaste treatment plant

   The plant is intended for processing and the further air-conditioning of a liquid radioactive waste by a cementation method.
   Building of LRTP is carried out under the project which is confirmed by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Industrial complex for solid radwaste management (ICSRM)

   The industrial complex consists of a number of separate objects which will co-operate in a chain of the management with the solid radwaste of the Chernobyl NPP – extraction, processing and a burial.
   Extraction of the solid radwaste from existing store of ChNPP will be carried out by special installation which will fragment and load the taken radwaste into containers. Containerized radwaste will arrive on special plant on processing of a radwaste.
   The primary goal of the plant consists in processing and sorting of all kinds and categories of the solid radwaste. At factory the processing and air-conditioning of all kinds of low - and medium level radwaste will be carried out. It will be carried out by burning, pressing and cementation of the waste. Finally at plant the radwaste will be placed in concrete containers with the subsequent concreting.
   Containers with the concreted radwaste will be buried out in special near surface storage of the solid radwaste which is already constructed in territory of the Exclusion Zone.