FM Hryshchenko: Ukraine collects enough money to launch erection of new sarcophagus over ChNPP

KYIV, April 23 /UKRINFORM/. The money that the international donors pledged at a conference in Kyiv last week is more than enough to start works on the contraction of the new safe confinement over the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said on the Inter TV channel Friday.

The diplomat recalled that the donor conference managed to pledge about 550 million euros. But this work is not finished yet. "Right after this conference, Saudi Arabia confirmed that it was ready to provide USD 20 million, while Poland announced plans to give 1.5 million euro," Hryshchenko said.

He also noted that this process will continue, and Ukraine will soon be able to collect enough money to ensure that the safe sarcophagus project is implemented.

As UKRINFORM reported, Ukraine needs 740 million euros to construct a new shelter over the fourth reactor that exploded on April 26, 1986. The 550 million euros (USD785 million) in pledges fell short of the needed figure at the Tuesday conference.

The EBRD said in a statement that it would work with major donors "to close the remaining financial gap".

The money goes to a project administered by the EBRD to build a safe shelter over the existing concrete sarcophagus covering the reactor, hastily erected in 1986 and shored up a few years ago after it became unstable.

It also goes to fund a safe storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive debris from inside the reactor, which is planned to be gradually extracted from under the hi-tech new covering.