New Safe Confinement - Project Status

Project Status

The New Safe Confinement (NSC) was originally intended to be completed in 2005, but the project has gone through several delays. In June 2003 the projected completion date was slated for February 2008. In 2009, planned completion was projected for 2012; the same year, progress was made with stabilization of the existing sarcophagus, which was then considered stable enough for another 15 years. On February 2010 the reported completion date of the NSC was pushed back to 2013. As of April 2011, the estimated completion date has been updated to Summer 2015.

The following schedule was released in June 2003:

• 12 February 2004 - complete the NSC conceptual design
• 13 March 2004 - Government of Ukraine to approve the conceptual design
• 13 June 2004 through 13 September 2004 - conduct a tender and sign a contract with the winner to proceed with relevant engineering and construction work
• 16 April 2006 through 20 May 2007 - lay foundations for the NSC
• 16 April 2006 through 22 October 2007 - fabricate steel arch segments, assemble, move in contact and secure arch sections
• 23 October 2007 through 19 February 2008 - install cranes, piping and lighting fixtures under the arch
• 20 February through 29 February 2008 - slide the arch structure in place over the existing Shelter

In March 2004 an international tender for NSC design and construction was announced. Two bid candidates were identified, but in September 2006 the plant's general director Ihor Hramotkyn announced his intent to annul all bids on the project.

On 17 September 2007, the project contract was finally signed, with French consortium Novarka (consisting of Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bouygues Construction as 50/50 partners) constructing the 190 by 200 meter arch structure. Construction costs were estimated as $1.4bn with a project time of five years.

The constructing consortium itself reported slightly different numbers, mentioning a contract of 432 million euros, and dimensions of 150 meters length, 257 meters span and 105 meter height. The estimated time for completion was given as 53 months, including 18 months of planning and design studies, with a projected completion in mid-2012.

In February 2010, the Director-General of the plant's facility administration projected completion of the NSC in 2013; Novarka began construction in September 2010.

Continued updates from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) state the NSC will be assembled by "summer 2015 and subsequently be slid over the present shelter", with an updated cost of completion estimated at €1.54bn, and a funding shortfall of €600m. Some project milestones, including infrastructure and preparatory work such as the NSC pilings, have been completed as of April 2011. Steel erection began in April 2012.

On 26 November 2012, the first sections were raised.