Nuclear safety

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Our work in nuclear safety

The EBRD is actively involved in assisting its regions to address pressing nuclear safety concerns, including decommissioning, the safe management of radioactive waste and the remediation of contaminated sites.

Donors from across the world

Over €5.0bn

Pledged to eight nuclear safety and remediation funds

€2.1bn

Cost of the Chernobyl Shelter Implementation

Projects underway

The EBRD and nuclear safety

With 30 years of experience in nuclear safety, the EBRD's Nuclear Safety Department has successfully implemented numerous major projects, supporting nuclear decommissioning and enhancing safety standards across many countries in the Bank’s regions. As the focus on nuclear power increases due to low-carbon and energy-security priorities, the EBRD is well equipped to apply its expertise to ensuring that nuclear safety remains an integral part of future developments.

From the beginning, the Bank has recognised the significant nuclear and radiological risks present in the economies we invest in, as exemplified by the Chornobyl disaster in 1986.   

Early projects by the Nuclear Safety Department focused on emergency safety upgrades at high-risk Soviet-designed reactors, with the aim of facilitating their closure.   

Thanks to donor support, the EBRD has implemented various projects to reduce hazards and enhance safety in its regions. Since the late 1990s, the Bank has partnered with donors such as the G7 and the European Union to assist economies such as Bulgaria, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine in decommissioning nuclear power units.   

Currently, the EBRD is actively involved in helping regions to deal with critical nuclear safety issues, including by closing unsafe nuclear plants, cleaning up contaminated sites, managing radioactive waste and enhancing safety and security at nuclear facilities.   

The Bank has also been involved in cleaning up former uranium mining facilities in Central Asia to safeguard the local population from the dangers of toxic and radioactive waste.   

Following the invasion of Ukraine and the brief occupation of Chornobyl by Russian forces, there is a renewed sense of urgency to address nuclear safety risks in the region. The EBRD's top priorities include reducing heightened safety risks in Ukraine, addressing restoration and remediation needs and ensuring the sustainable operation of infrastructure at Chornobyl through EBRD-led initiatives. A new multilateral fund, the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account, has been established for this purpose.   

As the debate on nuclear energy evolves due to the shift towards low-carbon economies and security concerns following recent events, regions will decide whether to maintain or expand their nuclear capabilities. The EBRD, leveraging its expertise, will work to uphold high safety standards in this sector. The Bank is grateful for the close cooperation of the donor community, without whom this important work would not be possible.

The EBRD implements projects using grants generously provided by donors through six active funds and two closed funds.

Funds

International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA)

Nuclear Safety Account (NSA)

Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF)

Ignalina International Decommissioning Support Fund (IIDSF)

Bohunice International Decommissioning Support Fund (BIDSF)

Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF)

Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA)

Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Nuclear Window Support Fund

Chornobyl: a transformed site

Background: the world's worst nuclear disaster

On 26 April 1986 the world witnessed an unprecedented nuclear catastrophe at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine. Reactor Unit 4 exploded owing to design flaws in its RBMK reactor and inadequate operational practices. A massive steam explosion blew apart the reactor hall, releasing radioactive material across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and even western Europe.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the surrounding area to create a 30 km exclusion zone, while millions more across Europe were exposed to radiation. Decades later, the environmental and social consequences remain significant, making Chornobyl not just a Ukrainian issue, but a global concern.

Immediate response: the sarcophagus

In the wake of the disaster, Soviet authorities rushed to contain the radioactive fallout. Within months, under extremely hazardous conditions, they constructed a massive concrete structure over the remains of Reactor 4. This makeshift barrier, known as the sarcophagus, was meant to contain 95 per cent of the reactor’s radioactive inventory.

While it served its purpose initially, over time the structure deteriorated. By the 1990s, it posed a new risk – any seismic or severe weather event could cause it to collapse and release further contamination.

International collaboration: from catastrophe to containment

After Ukraine gained independence in 1991, the country inherited the responsibility of managing Chornobyl’s aftermath – shutting down the remaining reactors, dealing with radioactive waste and protecting public health. This burden was enormous for a country in transition.

A turning point came in 1995 when Ukraine, the G7 nations and the European Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding to close down reactors 1, 2 and 3. Supported by the EBRD, this agreement also launched the Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF) to develop a permanent solution for the crumbling sarcophagus.

The EBRD, entrusted with managing international funds, became a key player in transforming Chornobyl from a global threat into a secure and controlled site.

Decommissioning any nuclear plant is challenging, but particularly Chornobyl, where the last unit ceased operations in 2000 within a contaminated environment. Since 1995, the EBRD has been supporting Ukraine in addressing these challenges.

The Shelter Implementation Plan: a long-term vision

Introduced in 1997, the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) was the blueprint for Chornobyl’s transformation. Developed by Ukrainian and Western experts and backed by the EU and United States of America, the SIP aimed to stabilise the sarcophagus and safely confine radioactive material until it could eventually be dismantled.

The SIP involved two main phases:

Phase I (1998-2002): engineering studies, emergency structural stabilisation and the selection of the future confinement design.
Phase II (2002-20): major construction projects, including the creation of the New Safe Confinement.

The total cost of the SIP reached €2.1 billion, funded by 45 countries, the European Commission and the EBRD.

Engineering triumph: the New Safe Confinement

The crown jewel of the SIP is the New Safe Confinement – a gigantic arch-shaped structure designed to last for at least 100 years. At 100 metres tall and spanning 257 metres, it is one of the largest movable structures ever built.

Constructed by the Novarka consortium, the arch was assembled away from the reactor to protect workers from radiation, then slid into position over the sarcophagus on massive rails.

Once in position, the New Safe Confinement would:

prevent rainwater from seeping in
limit radiation exposure
enable unstable structures inside to be safely dismantled
provide integrated monitoring for radiation, temperature and seismic activity.

The New Safe Confinement was handed over to the Ukrainian authorities in 2020, symbolising an extraordinary feat of engineering and international unity.

The Nuclear Safety Account (NSA): a focus on decommissioning infrastructure

The EBRD also manages the Nuclear Safety Account, financing two vital decommissioning infrastructure facilities:

1. Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility 2 (ISF-2)
- Cost: €400 million
- The facility stores spent fuel from reactors 1-3 in specially designed, double-walled canisters for at least 100 years.

2. Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant
- This facility transforms high-level radioactive liquids into solid waste for long-term storage.
- As the first EBRD-led project at Chornobyl, it marked a milestone in safe waste management.

The ongoing effort: decommissioning and beyond

Shutting down a nuclear power plant is never straightforward but the challenge presented by Chornobyl was without precedent.

Since 1995, the EBRD’s Nuclear Safety Account has contributed over €280 million from 18 donor nations, supporting decommissioning efforts, safety enhancements and the establishment of a comprehensive waste management system. In addition, the EBRD provided €235 million for the construction of ISF-2.

While the New Safe Confinement – owing to its scale and prominence – tends to dominate the public perception of work at Chornobyl, ISF-2 is of equal importance from a nuclear safety perspective. Spent fuel from Chornobyl is being relocated from a deteriorating facility into a safe and secure repository.

The systems installed within the New Safe Confinement mean that the sarcophagus can be dismantled, and fuel-containing materials can be monitored and eventually removed. The New Safe Confinement plays a critical role in shielding the environment from the radiation emitted by the sarcophagus ; radiation levels at Chornobyl have fallen markedly since the structure was put in place.

The New Safe Confinement is one of the EBRD’s most high-profile initiatives. Costing more than €1.5 billion, it represents the culmination of nearly two decades of committed international collaboration through the EBRD’s Chernobyl Shelter Fund, supported by over 40 international donors, including significant contributions from the EBRD itself.

The joint endeavours of Ukraine and the international community at Chornobyl have provided a long-term solution to the challenge of rendering the site of the 1986 accident environmentally safe. Their completion marked the culmination of more than three decades of intense and complex work, involving an extraordinary array of actors under the most demanding conditions.

As work on the New Safe Confinement ended, the next phase in addressing the legacy of the Chornobyl disaster began.

Plans were developed to gradually reduce the exclusion zone. According to Volodymyr Holosha (former Minister of Emergency in Ukraine), 200,000 hectares on the periphery will eventually be converted into a biosphere reserve and national park, while the central 30,000 hectares will remain an industrial zone, permanently closed to human habitation. However, commercial use of the area, such as for renewable energy generation, continues to be considered.

Addressing the legacy of Chornobyl remains challenging, yet the accomplishments of the past 30 years offer considerable encouragement.

The New Safe Confinement is internationally recognised not only as a unique feat of engineering and technical ingenuity, but also as a symbol of what can be achieved through international cooperation.

Significant safety and decommissioning challenges remain, but a clear and secure path for the future was established, making Chornobyl a symbol of transformation, resilience and global solidarity in addressing one of the world’s most complex nuclear legacies.

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Chornobyl today: the Russian invasion and the drone attack on the New Safe Confinement

Since the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the country’s nuclear sector has been under immense strain. Until 2025, the worst-case scenario – a direct military strike on nuclear infrastructure – had been avoided.

That changed in the early hours of 14 February 2025 , when a drone carrying high explosives struck the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The attack took place at 01:50 local time, sparking a fire on the northern side of the structure. Both the outer and inner cladding were breached, creating a hole approximately six metres wide near the maintenance garage of the main crane system. A large area of cladding – up to 200 m² surrounding the breach – sustained damage, as did the main crane maintenance garage’s structural integrity.

A comprehensive assessment is still required to determine the full extent of the damage, particularly regarding the cladding, ventilation and main crane systems. These components are essential to the long-term operation of the Confinement, ensuring the safe dismantling of the original sarcophagus and the remains of Reactor 4.

The Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant continues to monitor radiation levels, with updates regularly posted on its Instagram account and official website. Current readings confirm that radiation levels remain within acceptable limits.

At the EBRD, we are also monitoring the situation closely; immediately after the attack we contacted both the International Atomic Energy Agency and officials at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. We provided a swift update to donors of the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA), reaffirming that the Bank remains resolute in its long-term commitment to safety and security at Chornobyl.

More on the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Safety team contacts

Nuclear Safety Department

Telephone:

+44 20 7338 7841

Email:

nuclearsafety@ebrd.com

Media enquiries - EBRD Press Office

Telephone:

+44 20 7338 7805

Email:

pressenquiries@ebrd.com

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