On April 22 the New Safe Confinement was transferred to trial operation mode. During the trial operation practically all NSC equipment and systems will be operated in the design mode within 72 hours. The goal of the trial operation is to make sure that all equipment and devices are operated in the design mode and perform their functions. In addition, such operation will allow checking the level of ChNPP's personnel qualification gained during the training.
The test subject during the trial operation is the conditional dismantling of SO unstable structures.
The first stage of the trial operation was devoted to the testing of the main cranes system (hereinafter: MCS): movement of carriages from bridge cranes to maintenance garages (northern and southern garages).
During the second testing day the MCS crane run-way beams were inspected and movement of two cranes (western and eastern) over the Shelter Object roof was tested. After that dismantling, lifting and movement to the temporary storage site of a metal truss, established during the Shelter Object stabilization measures, was simulated.
At the final stage of trial operation, activities on handling the conditionally delivered truss will be executed at the temporary storage site: its fragmentation, decontamination, loading into a container, characterization of solid radioactive waste (hereinafter: SRW), the container loading into the container carrier and its transfer to the Industrial Complex for Solid RAW Management.
After the trial operation, the project will pass to the pilot operation stage. For this the Chornobyl NPP should obtain a corresponding permit based on the documents compiled on the basis of the trial operation results. The pilot operation will continue not longer than 1 year.
After that the Chornobyl NPP will obtain a license and will start the NSC operation and dismantling of the Shelter Object unstable structures.
