Chernobyl NPP officially stopped generation of electricity on 15th December 2000. This became one of the most tragic events in the ChNPP history second to the 1986 accident.

At 13:17, by the order of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Power Unit No.3 reactor was shut down forever with a turn of the key.

The decision on the pre-schedule decommissioning of Power Unit No.3 and final shutdown of ChNPP was made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 29th March 2000. Such actions were caused by the commitments of Ukraine to the world community stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ukraine and Governments of the G7 countries and the Commission of the European Communities on the Chernobyl NPP Closure. The Memorandum was signed on 25th December 1995.

“...To take all appropriate measures for the ChNPP decommissioning as soon as is reasonably practicable”, — the Memorandum said.

These events prompted numerous discussions concerning the accuracy of such decision. There were many advocates of further generation of electricity by the NPP.

Four ChNPP Units generated 150 bln kW*hours before the accident. The essential measures were taken after the accident to improve the safety of the Power Units. Consequently, prior to the final shutdown, three Power Units in total generated another 158 bln kW*hours.

9,000 employees worked at the ChNPP at the time of the closure. The present number of personnel is less than 2,400. 

Currently, 17 years after the ChNPP shutdown, more than 20 projects are under different stages of implementation at the site. Among them:

1. Construction of the New Safe Confinement (Arch);
2. Construction of the Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management;
3. Construction of the Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel No.2;
4. Construction of the Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant;
5. Decommissioning of the cooling pond.