Chernobyl - status of the projects 15 years later

More than 14 years after the reactor accident, the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl was finally shut down finding strong response amidst the international public. With that the pre-requisite is given for the realisation of the planning projects and advance work for the decommissioning, securing and waste management which have been set in motion for years. The focus here is on the stabilisation and securing of the so-called sarcophagus for the damaged unit 4. Urgent safety-relevant measures are the erection of a fuel assemblies store for all spent fuel as well as a treatment plant for the liquid radioactive waste which is in interim storage in tanks. A further large task is the realisation of a solid waste treatment centre. Many problems have already been tackled but the main task still lies ahead for which the technical and financial support of the international community is indispensable in the future as well. (orig.)