Ukrainian National Nuclear Energy Company (NNEGC) “Energoatom” has begun construction of the centralized repository for spent nuclear fuel (TSSAYAP) in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukrainian government website reports.
The repository will store spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants in Rivne, Khmelnytsky, and Yuzhnoukrainsk.
The spent nuclear fuel (SNF) technology for storage in TSSAYAP have been provided by the American company ‘Holtec International’. Construction work should be completed within 24 months, the design life of the site for ‘Hi-Storm’ containers used for the storage of spent nuclear fuel is 100 years old.
According to Vladimir Kistsiona, after the construction of the facility, in 2020, Ukraine will become independent in handling of spent nuclear fuel.
Speaking at the ceremony, US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanavitch said that since 2005, Kyiv has spent about $ 2 billion for the removal of SNF for temporary storage in Russia.
The land piece allocated for SNF storage is 15 kilometers away from Belarus.
