Photo from UNIAN
The quality and safety of the facility are the most important criteria.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says contractors who built and installed a new safe confinement (arch) over destroyed power unit No.4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) are planning to put it into operation in December 2018.
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"This year, we will complete one of the important stages of transformation of the Shelter facility into an environmentally safe system. In December, we are planning to commission the new safe confinement, which was earlier installed," the president said at a press conference dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster on April 26, adding that the installation of equipment and systems is being completed along with their adjustment.
At the same time, he noted he did not insist on the earlier launch because "quality and safety are the most important criteria it must meet."
Poroshenko also noted that a complex of solid radioactive waste management and a liquid radioactive waste processing plant should be put into operation in 2018 as well. In addition, at the end of 2018, it is planned to start "hot tests" of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel from Chornobyl NPP.
"I just checked the state of its readiness and was told the storage facility is 98% ready," the president said.