New Safe Confinement exterior, completed in 2016
The International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) was established in November 2020 by the EBRD, at the request of the government of Ukraine, to support the development of a comprehensive plan for Chornobyl. Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine the Account remit has been widened to support a range of measures to support the restoration of nuclear safety, security and decommissioning abilities within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The Accounts remit now also permits activities across the nuclear sector in Ukraine in support of nuclear safety, subject to the agreement of the Assembly of Contributors. To date, ICCA has received nearly €10m from 13 Donors.
The first ICCA Grant Agreement was signed in March 2023 to support the restoration of fire safety within the Exclusion Zone. Further work is underway to support a safety analysis of the “Object Shelter” and provide support for transportation infrastructure and New Safe Confinement operations.
Over the longer term ICCA will focus on support for sustainable site infrastructure and longer term safe operation of decommissioning infrastructure within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, in particular those facilities which were supported through long term international collaboration. The impact of the Russian war against Ukraine will need to be assessed on an ongoing basis, but it is clear that the capacity for stable site operations has been severely undermined, and the challenges for Ukraine to continue safe decommissioning of one of the world’s most challenging nuclear facilities will be immense.
