The project is funded through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Fund and its budget can be changed or redistributed if it is necessary.

Project objective:

Completing the establishment and ensuring efficient operation of integrated system for radioactive waste/SNF management in Ukraine that will enable to achieve safe managing (incl. disposal) the radioactive waste of all types including the waste accumulated within the previous years, being generated currently in the course of nuclear energy use as well as the waste that will arise in the future; enhancing the technological capabilities, improving efficiency and safety of decommissioning activities at Chornobyl NPP industrial site.

Completion status:

The project was completed in December 2019.

Within the project the SSE ChNPP as one of the recipients received the expert support of the IAEA in the area of decommissioning and RAW management, namely about the methods for determination of organic content in radioactively contaminated water, methods for sample taking and characterization of ChNPP solid RAW, ion exchanging resin treatment, status of “Implementation Programme for the Stage of Chornobyl NPP Power Units 1, 2 and 3 Final Shutdown and Preservation”.

The specialists were trained and participated in the fellowship programme studying the laboratory methods to determine the radionuclides in radioactively contaminated water and liquid RAW with use of mass-spectrometer.

Also, ChNPP received a state-of-the-art digital microscope for laboratory investigations.

The project is financed from IAEA Technical Cooperation fund and its budget can be varied or redistributed if necessary.

Project Objective:

Assistance in Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) decommissioning and the Shelter object transformation into environmentally safe system, as well as creation of Comprehensive National Radioactive Waste Management Program and Action Plan.

Completion status:

Within the period 2016-2017, the project activity was focused on the crucial for ChNPP problems of Radwaste Management, particularly Liquid Radioactive Waste, radioactively contaminated water and ion-exchange resins and on supporting of the work implementation during the Chornobyl NPP Final shutdown and preservation stage. During the two years, 13 expert missions, workshops and meetings were organized in accordance with the agreed work plan, attended by more than 200 specialists, mainly from Chernobyl nuclear power plant, NPP Safety Problems Institute, SNRIU, SSR Institute “Chornobyl Center”, and others. 19 specialists took part in ten International conferences and workshops where they had the opportunity not only to study the existing best practices, but also to share ChNPP’s developments in field of decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management.

List of activities performed:

The results obtained, their impact on the industry:

The work in field of RAW management is aimed on creation of an effective system for different types waste management at Chornobyl NPP. In particular, it is very important from the point of view of resource saving to select the technologies for salt water treatment without evaporation method. At present Chornobyl NPP uses an evaporation scheme for the radioactive waters purification, designed for the Unit in operation. It is necessary to select the technologies allowing an effective Chornobyl NPP radioactive waters processing using the other methods. After the technology selection it is necessary to perform pilot tests to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technology and its suitability for use at ChNPP. During the project implementation, alternative purification methods were considered and technical specification for the pilot facility was developed. Work continuation is planned within the new project for 2018-2019.

Expert support is provided and further research is underway to select options for secondary waste management, obtained from the facility for RAW purification from transuranic elements (TUE). This is continuation of the activity launched in 2012-2015, within which a pilot facility for the liquid radioactive waste purification from transuranium elements and organics was created and technical specifications were developed, which were used as a basis for the industrial facility in the EC project U4.01/11C aimed on the industrial facility creation. Now work is under way to find solutions to manage a secondary waste from this facility.

Significant efforts within the project were aimed to support Chornobyl NPP decommissioning, in particular, expert assessment of the revised "ChNPP decommissioning program" in terms of compliance with IAEA recommendations, workshop for studying of successful international practices for reuse of territory and plans for Chornobyl NPP site and repurposing of existing buildings and facilities for industrial development in the field of radioactively contaminated materials, radioactive waste and SNF management. Developed by IAEA expert group proposals and recommendations for ChNPP plans will form the basis for Chornobyl NPP site industrial development optimization and its integration in the Ukrainian nuclear complex.  

The Project is financed from the funds of the European Union in the framework of the Programme “Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation 2011. Part II”.

The general objective of the Project, which includes Service Contract No.NSI/2015/365776 dated 18.12.2015, is to improve safety and economic efficiency during management of all types of radioactive waste in Ukraine and, to take all possible measures to reduce the amount of waste and fulfil long-term tasks regarding final safe disposal.

The Project tasks are as follows:

- selection of the relevant operating procedures/equipment for waste reprocessing;
- supply, design, manufacture, delivery, including any documentation required, certification, installation, licensing and commissioning of equipment for the purpose of creating a facility for release of materials from regulatory control at the Chornobyl NPP suitable for further release for all types of materials in accordance with the approved methodology and procedures;
- providing radiation control and radiation monitoring of facilities to prevent their contamination;
- obtaining radiation characteristics during transportation of containers/large facilities for measurement zones inside the facility; registration of measurement results obtained for release of materials/printing;
- monitoring of radiation situation inside the facility for personnel protection from radioactive contamination and video monitoring of the measurement process.

Completion status:

All works under the contract have been completed.

The Contractor delivered the equipment whose testing and certification had been completed. ChNPP personnel were trained and started work at the facility.

Currently the facility is being commissioned.