Chernobyl sarcophagus confinement structure successfully lifted into place

The two steel semi-arches, 108 m in height, stand in front of the No. 4 reactor, which exploded in April 1986.

23 December 2014 - Projects update and handover - Ukraine

The teams from NOVARKA (50% VINCI Construction Grands Projets, lead contractor, and 50% Bouygues Travaux Publics) have successfully jacked into place the sarcophagus confinement structure at Chernobyl, in Ukraine. The structure comprises two semi-arches, each of which has undergone three jacking operations since November 2012, following extensive ground remediation works, earthworks and the construction of foundations at the assembly area located near the power plant’s No. 4 reactor. The final lifting operation for the second part of the structure took place on 24 October 2014. So the structure now stands 108 metres high. As regards safety, the on-site teams have worked 3.5 million hours without a lost-time accident.
A technical challenge successfully overcome at this important stage of the project, with delivery of the completed structure scheduled for 2017.The next stage will involve joining the structure’s two halves, installing its various systems (power supply, ventilation, monitoring and control), and then sliding the entire confinement structure over the current sarcophagus – an operation planned for spring 2017. Work will then start on connecting the side walls of the arch and ensuring their tightness in order to totally isolate the damaged No. 4 reactor from the outside environment. Delivery of the completed structure is scheduled for November 2017. The conditions will thus have been created for a completely safe dismantling of the sarcophagus and the No. 4 reactor. This project is quite exceptional, a “first of its kind”. It is being financed by the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, which is administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and involves 43 donor governments and organisations.