A consortium that includes scientists and engineers from Battelle, Bechtel International Systems and other companies have begun construction of a moveable building that weighs 20,000 tons and will eventually cover the remains of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4.

On the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster last month, Ukraine officially launched construction of the project of building the new radiation shell allied the New Safe Confinement an arch shaped steel structure that is being built distant from the current Object Shelter to avoid radiation exposure of construction workers. Once construction of the arch is complete, the team will slide the NSC which is 250 meters wide, 150 meters long and 100 meters tall and built from one-meter diameter tubular steel over the older Object Shelter which is getting old and degrading.

Conceptual design of the NSC was performed by the Bechtel-Battelle-EDF consortium in 2002-2003 and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2004. A contract for final design and construction of NSC was awarded in 2007 to the joint venture company known as Novarka, which consists of the two large French construction companies, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bouygues Travaux Publics. The arch steel is being fabricated in Italy.

Mr Viktor Yanukovych Ukranian President spoke during the anniversary ceremony inaugurating the initial assembly of the structure, which is expected to take three and a half years to complete.

He said that "On behalf of Ukraine I express my gratitude to all donor countries the Chernobyl Fund 'Shelter' for their understanding and active support of our country to overcome the biggest disaster in human history. We never stop taking care of the safety of the covering of the fourth reactor.”

Source - nuclearstreet

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