Energy News  
Nuclear waste storage inaugurated in Chernobyl

by Staff Writers
Kiev (AFP) April 23, 2008
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko Wednesday inaugurated a nuclear waste storage and processing centre in the contaminated zone around the Chernobyl nuclear station ahead of the catastrophe's 22nd anniversary, his press service said.

The centre's first module, constructed with the European Commission's aid, would be launched by the end of the year, Valentin Melnichenko, a project official, told AFP.

He said it would be able to store up to 75,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste from Chernobyl and its surrounds.

The entire complex, which is due to be completed in "five to 10 years," will also allow storage and processing of radioactive waste from four nuclear power stations currently operational in Ukraine, he added.

No storage of foreign nuclear waste is planned, assured Melnichenko, deputy director of the Ukrainian company Technocenter which had constructed the complex.

On April 26, 1986, reactor number 4 at Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, contaminating large parts of Europe but especially the then-Soviet republics of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Over 25,000 "liquidators" who worked on the ruined reactor and constructed a concrete sarcophagus enclosing it, lost their lives, according to official figures.

The station, whose last reactor continued to produce electricity, was closed down in December 2000.

On Wednesday, Chernobyl's director Igor Gramotkin announced the completion of works reinforcing the old sarcophagus which was built in the immediate aftermath of the accident to confine radioactive leaks.

The sarcophagus, which had become a constant menace due to cracks, would now be able to hold against an earthquake of 6.0 on the Richter scale, Gramotkin was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

A consortium including France's Bouygues and Vinci construction companies meanwhile launched preparations for the construction of a new steel dome over the old sarcophagus, the Interfax said.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Civil Nuclear Energy Science, Technology and News
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Baku says Russian nuclear delivery to Iran halted
Baku (AFP) April 22, 2008
Azerbaijan said on Tuesday it had detained a Russian shipment intended for the Iranian nuclear power plant under construction at Bushehr due to concerns that it might violate UN sanctions.







  • Germany backs EU biofuels targets
  • Morphic Technologies Tests Tomorrow's Wind Turbines On Oland
  • Analysis: Venezuela, Iran bolster ties
  • Babson College To Commission Campus Wind Turbine During Earth Day Celebrations

  • Nuclear waste storage inaugurated in Chernobyl
  • Baku says Russian nuclear delivery to Iran halted
  • BNP Paribas to raise funding for Bulgarian nuclear power plant
  • UAE signs nuclear cooperation deal with US

  • Methane Sources Over The Last 30,000 Years
  • Changing Jet Streams May Alter Paths Of Storms And Hurricanes
  • Viruses Keep Us Breathing
  • Carnegie Mellon Researchers To Curb CO2 Emissions

  • World's Oldest Living Tree Discovered In Sweden
  • Forests' Long-Term Potential For Carbon Offsetting
  • Indonesian police arrest three officers over illegal logging
  • The Tree Corporation Of Australia

  • London summit tackles 'tsunami' of rising food prices
  • Chinese and Vietnam foodstuffs recalled
  • Drought hits millions in Thai rice region: government
  • Walker's World: What food crisis?

  • Ocado Goes Greener With Prototype Electric Delivery Van
  • Lockheed Martin Autonomous Car Takes A Lap At The Toyota Grand Prix
  • Germany hopes for car emissions accord with France by June
  • US proposes accelerated plan for auto fuel efficiency

  • Belgian airline says it will cut costs, emissions by slowing down
  • Airbus, Boeing sign accord to cut air traffic impact on environment
  • Oil spike, cost of planes led to Oasis collapse: founders
  • Airbus boss says aviation unfairly targeted over climate change

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement