France contributes EUR 10 mln to EBRD Chornobyl Fund account to restore confinement over Shelter at Chornobyl NPP
Representatives of the French government during a meeting of the Assembly of Donors of the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) announced a contribution of EUR 10 million to the account of Chornobyl Fund of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
"The funds will allow further financing of work on repairing the protective shelter over the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl NPP, which was damaged by a Russian drone attack," the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine said on Wednesday.
The contribution agreement was signed by Pierre Elbron, Special Envoy of the President of France for Economic Assistance and Reconstruction of Ukraine and EBRD Vice President for Policy and Partnerships Mark Bowman, during the 34th EBRD Annual Meeting and Business Forum in London.
"I am grateful to the French government for its decision to provide financing for the restoration of the protective sarcophagus at the Chernobyl NPP. Your contribution is extremely important for ensuring nuclear safety not only in Ukraine, but also throughout the world. This is not only support for technical solutions, but also a contribution to global stability," Deputy Minister of Finance Olha Zykova said.
At the same time, she said the strategic goal of the partners and Ukraine regarding Chornobyl NPP should not be to respond to another emergency situation caused by Russia's military aggression, but to ensure the stable and long-term security of the facility.
She said the recent attacks on Chornobyl NPP, in particular the strike on the sarcophagus, show that international nuclear security can no longer be based on engineering solutions alone – a new level of protection is needed.
"We must move from a policy of response to a policy of prevention and sustainability. This means long-term investments in the modernization of Chornobyl NPP security infrastructure, permanent physical protection, air defense of the facility, as well as adequate international funding for monitoring, maintenance and rapid response," she said.
According to her, it is now necessary to create a systemic approach that would work regardless of how long the war lasts.
Created by the EBRD in 2020 as the successor to the Nuclear Security Account (NSA) and Chornobyl Shelter Fund (CSF), Chornobyl International Cooperation Account supports interaction with donors on a comprehensive solution to Chornobyl NPP issues. Its aim is, in particular, to support Ukraine in overcoming the complex challenges of dismantling the unstable structures of the shelter over the fourth power unit of Chornobyl NPP, carrying out repair works for the safe operation of the new protective shelter and managing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
With the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion, the scope of the fund has expanded to also cover measures aimed at restoring nuclear safety and protection of Chornobyl NPP.
The EBRD is currently working with Chornobyl NPP, Ukrainian experts and the French company Bouygues, involved in the initial construction of the new protective shelter, to assess the full extent of the damage to the shelter and develop options for long-term rehabilitation. To support these measures, it is planned to allocate EUR 5 million from the fund's existing resources.
"Given the scale of damage to the new shelter over the fourth power unit (…), the cost of restoration is expected to be significant and significantly exceed currently available resources. The total cost of fully restoring the new safe confinement may exceed EUR 100 million," the ministry said.
The fund currently has over EUR 19 million in its account. In total, over EUR 26 million has been attracted during the operation of the International Cooperation Account for Chornobyl.