[en] One decade after the accident at unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power station a melting plant for radioactively contaminated metallic materials, the so-called SURF facility is being planned and licensed for erection in the direct neighbourhood of the NPP area. Main goal is the recycling of the material, largely decontaminated by the melting process, by means of manufacturing of casks and containers for waste disposal and of shielding equipment. The melting plant will be placed as part of the Ukrainian waste handling centre (CPPRO). The technology is based on the long-term experience gained at Siempelkamp's CARLA plant in Krefeld. In 1995-1997 the licensing conditions were defined, the licensing documents prepared and the formal procedure initiated. For completion of the recycling technique and to broaden the application fields for the re-usable material a granules production method has been developed and formally qualified. The essential is the substitution of the hematite portion in concrete structures providing an alternative sink for recycling material. (author)