CHORNOBYL NPP AND U.S. COMPANY HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL TO STREAMLINE SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL DRY STORAGE 2 PROJECT BY JULY

Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Fri, June 11, 2010 

KYIV - The Chornobyl nuclear power plant specialized state enterprise (Kyiv region) and Holtec International (United States) are to work out measures for streamlining the spent nuclear fuel dry storage project 2 by July, according to a statement made by the Chornobyl NPP.

Thus, in course of the June 10 extended meeting of the Chornobyl NPP scientific-technical council, its participants pronounced a series of remarks to the program completing the construction of the storage, developed by the American company. The state enterprise notes the need for reducing the cost of the project realisation and also its conceptual refinement.

"The concept of storing radioactive waste, proposed by Holtec International, raises concerns as to the possibility of its realisation," the statement said about results of analysis of the project proposed by Holtecс.

In particular, the Chornobyl NPP is concerned about the safety of the transportation and storage of containers with radioactive wastes at the storage's open ground, ensuring protection from radiation, and also the possibility of licensing the storage and containers in future.

So, the project customer (the state enterprise) and the contractor (Holtec International) will by June 30 take measures to optimise the project and adjust to meet the customer's demands.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, parliament in January ratified the agreement that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Cabinet of Ministers, and the State Nuclear Regulation Committee signed on July 8, 2009, under which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will provide a grant of EUR 3.5 million for financing measures for licensing a dry storage for spent nuclear fuel (the project for construction of a second storage facility for spent nuclear fuel).

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development allocated EUR 135 million to Ukraine in February 2009 under a grant agreement for financing safety programs at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (financing construction of a dry storage for spent nuclear fuel and construction of a new, safe shelter over the Chornobyl nuclear power plant's destroyed fourth reactor).

Framatome, a French company, began construction of the second storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in 2000 and planned to complete it in 2005.
However, work on the storage facility was suspended in 2003 because of errors uncovered in its design and construction. Framatome's contract was consequently canceled.

In September 2007, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Specialized State Enterprise and Holtec International reached an agreement on completing construction of the nuclear fuel storage facility.

According to the agreement, the storage facility is intended for storage of spent nuclear fuel from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant's nuclear reactors of the type RBMK-1000 for 100 years.

NOTE: Holtec International is a member of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), Washington, D.C., www.usubc.org.