The cost of repairing the sarcophagus of the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, estimated at tens of millions of dollars

It is estimated that a Russian drone Shahed of about 88,000 euros caused tens of millions of euros to the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, according to the initial evaluations and the engineering experts, quoted by The Guardian.

Protection structure from Chernobyl Pay

The cost of a complete repair will probably be borne by Western governments, insofar as it would exceed the amount of EUR 25 that is available in a special international fund for unforeseen situations.

The attack did not generate an immediate radiological risk, but significantly damaged the 1.5 billion euros isolation enclosure to protect the destroyed reactor. The repair will probably take Monday, if not years, according to experts.

The 110 -meter high steel structure was hit before 2 in the morning on February 14, the sensors recording “Something like an earthquake of magnitude 6-7 “according to Serhii Bokov, the chief engineer. “But it was clear to us that this was not”he said.

The attack – about which it was quickly concluded that it was caused by a drone flying at an altitude that could not be detected by the radar – made a hole of 15 square meters in the outer roof. It also caused a complex, extremely harmful fire, which also affected the interior coating and could only be extinguished in two weeks.

The protective shield, completed in 2017, was necessary to secure the number four reactor following the worst nuclear disaster in April 1986.

But the February attack exhibited the sarcophagus of the weather, with the risk of release in the atmosphere of radioactive dust and the flow of rainwater inside. However, the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Ukraine has given assurances that “the radiation fund is currently within normal limits and is under constant control”.

It is necessary for the sarcophagus to be repaired to prevent long -term risks, experts say

More importantly, the isolation structure is now more vulnerable in the long -term rust due to the greater exposure to the weather and damage to the coating. Also, small holes were drilled in the structure in the effort to extinguish the fire.

“Not to repair it is not an option,” explained Eric Schmieman, an American engineer who worked on the design and construction of the Chernobyl sarcophagus for 15 years. A complete repair, he said, “It would cost at least tens of millions of dollars and could easily reach hundreds of millions.”while the repairs would take “Monday to years,” he added.

It has been stipulated that this protective housing will have a life span of 100 years, to allow the decommissioning of sarcophagus and nuclear waste below, but this is now questioned if it is not repaired, Schmieman added. Unlike other large metal structures, such as the Eiffel Tower, it has never been possible to prevent corrosion.

Protection structure from Chernobyl Pay

Under the sarcophagus there is a very lava -like radioactive mass, a mixture of 200 tons of uranium from the explosion produced to the number four reactor, as well as 5,000 tons of sand, lead and boric acid that were released from Soviet helicopters immediately after the accident.

A more detailed impact assessment is expected to be published in May, but the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has funded the protective shield and is involved in post-bombardment analysis, said that “”It is clear that the attack has caused significant damage. “

Other sources, familiar with cost assessment, told The Guardian that Schmieman's estimates seem correct. Although the EBRD holds funds worth 25 million euros for emergency works, it said that “It requires significantly higher funding” to deal with the long -term challenges related to the decommissioning generated by the incident.

When the attack took place in February, Moscow blamed Ukraine. The spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zaharova, said the incident was a challenge “Premeditated by the Kiev regime”. However, Ukrainian prosecutors consider, after they have revised the trajectory of the drone from the north, that the attack was a “possible intentional blow ” of Russian forces and a possible war crime.

Shaun Burnie, a senior specialist in the nuclear field at Greenpeace Ukraine, said he believes that the attack will have “consequences that will last decades” and said that it took place “Putin and the Russian state have carried out a deliberate form of nuclear terror against Ukraine and Europe,” which “she remained unpunished. “

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Other funds for repairs will most likely come from Western governments. Twenty -six countries contributed to the cost of the initial shelter, including the US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and even Russia -the vinegar -arched structure cost EUR 1.5 billion from a total fund of EUR 2.1 billion. There were other donations, including from Turkey.

The area of ​​the nuclear power plant was occupied by the Russian soldiers trying to conquer Kiev in February 2022 and remained on the front line after Ukraine regained it two months later.

The residues recovered from the scene caused Ukrainian prosecutors to conclude that the damage was caused by a Shahed 136, an Iranian conception drone that became the most used weapon with long -range attack on Russia. Made currently in Russia, they cost between 50,000 and $ 100,000.

Ukrainian officials say that the first step will be “the development and implementation” of a temporary seal for the crack, although Schmieman warns that “One thing that is not obvious from a distance is that as you climb the radiation dose becomes higher. Therefore, the workers must be trained and rotated according to the safety limits of the annual dose ”.

The remotely driven cranes that hang from the isolation shelter were meant to disassemble the sarcophagus and nuclear material below, and the blow hit a point near the maintenance garage, said Bokov. But that could affect the plans of gradual disassembly and decommissioning the place of the disaster below.

“I designed this construction for a lot of unforeseen situations, but I did not despair it for the war”, Schmieman said. “Although most of the nuclear power plants are designed to survive the fall of a plane over them, we did not do this because, after the 1986 accident, there was an area of ​​aerial prohibition in Chernobyl. We thought that nothing would fly above her. “