CONSULTING

The “Sarcophagus”
As it was impossible in the immediate aftermath of the initial explosions to work on the destroyed
structure of the reactor, containing 200 tons of highly radioactive corium, 30 tons of highly
contaminated dust and 16 tons of uranium and plutonium, three weeks after the accident it was
decided as the first and urgent action to build a protection structure above the reactor to limit
radioactive contamination and protecting it from climate exposure.
Figure 30: Cross Section of the “Sarcophagus”
Source: chnpp.gov.ua
The structure was called “sarcophagus” (see Figure 30) and was built by thousands of liquidators
who participated in the construction mostly made of concrete slabs covering the entire
structure. 256 However, the sarcophagus was put together in haste under severe conditions and
rapidly deteriorated in the following years.
G-7 Support of Shutdown of RMBK and VVER 440-230 Reactors
In 1993, the G7 launched an initiative on the prevention of nuclear accidents at Russian built plants
and agreed that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), establishes a
fund aimed at the closure and decommissioning of the oldest Russian built nuclear power plants of
the RBMK and VVER 440-230 types. The initiative initially included the plants of Ignalina-1 and -2
256 Greenpeace.org, “What happened in Chernobyl”, 20 March 2006, see
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/nomorechernobyls/what-happened-inchernobyl/,
accessed 1 July 2016.
Mycle Schneider, Antony Froggatt et al. 83 World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2016