Construction of a Large Protective Arch over the Sarcophagus
Construction of the large containment arch designed to cover the sarcophagus. The project, funded with G8 assistance, was delayed. Built by an international consortium, the arch could be delivered in 2015.
DR
To prevent the deterioration of the sarcophagus covering the damaged reactor, the construction of an arch-shaped containment structure was undertaken. This arch will feature a metal framework of 18,000 tons (more than twice the weight of the Eiffel Tower). It will measure 105 m high (twice the height of the Arc de Triomphe), 150 m long with a span of 257 m. Mounted on two rails, it will be assembled to the west of the damaged reactor and then moved 200 m to cover the sarcophagus.
Construction began at the end of 2010 with commissioning planned for 2017. The cost is estimated at €1.54 billion. Funding notably includes support from the European Union. A meeting of 50 donor countries took place in Kiev on April 19, 2011. Work was likely delayed by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. However, the foundations (506 m long, 38,283 m³ of concrete) had been completed by mid-August 2014.
An overhead crane was installed under the arch. The long-term goal is to dismantle the sarcophagus and recover the highly radioactive materials remaining inside the damaged reactor core. This operation will take a long time. But when it is completed, the Chernobyl site, finally cleared of its radioactivity, can be returned to nature and human activities.
On the occasion of a report describing a fire in a forest within the exclusion zone, the BBC posted a video describing the large arch project and its progress. This high-quality report in English offered spectacular images.
In November 2016, the large arch began to be installed. It was expected to be fully operational in December 2017. The construction of the €1.5 billion structure was completed in July 2019.
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