The international community and Ukraine are set to enter a new phase of engagement on long-term nuclear safety and decommissioning, with a particular focus on Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, thanks to the Ukrainian parliament’s ratification of the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) framework agreement. Parliament approved the corresponding law, which will pave the way for a wider range of nuclear safety activities to be managed by the ICCA, in June 2024.
To confirm their unwavering support for international decommissioning and nuclear remediation efforts in Ukraine, at a recent ICCA Assembly meeting of donors, Norway announced an additional contribution to the ICCA worth €5.6 million.
The donors also approved a further tranche of financing for projects to enhance the safety of spent nuclear fuel storage and to optimise the management of liquid radioactive waste at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Balthasar Lindauer, EBRD Director, Nuclear Safety Department, said: "The Russian military occupation of the Chornobyl exclusion zone (CEZ) in March 2022 not only damaged infrastructure at the site, but left a challenging operational legacy for one of the world’s most vulnerable nuclear facilities. The EBRD has a longstanding commitment to supporting Chornobyl's decommissioning and safety efforts, and we are determined to ensure that the significant progress made over the years through international cooperation is not lost. The ratification of the framework agreement, additional donor support and commitments to a new tranche of projects is an important statement of this renewed international support for safety at Chornobyl.”
The ICCA was established in November 2020 by the EBRD at the request of the government of Ukraine. It was set up as a multilateral fund to support the development of a comprehensive plan for Chornobyl. Following the occupation of the CEZ at the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the scope of the ICCA was broadened to support the restoration of safety and security within the CEZ, as well as wider nuclear safety measures across Ukraine.
