Chernobyl sarcophagus structure is unstable, partial dismantling expected by 2029

At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the dismantling of parts of the original shelter over the damaged reactor will be extended. A project to secure them should be prepared by 2025, with the work itself continuing through 2029. Some parts of the shelter are highly unstable and are likely to collapse without technical intervention. Chernobyl is therefore entering another phase in the process of stabilizing the reactor, which cannot be completed even nearly 40 years later. There are still 200 tonnes of highly radioactive material beneath the “sarcophagus.”

The dismantling is being carried out by Ukrbudmontazh, which won the tender in 2019. A license to extend the work was granted because of delayed funding and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The work will include dismantling, reinforcement and the final processing of contaminated fragments.

The sarcophagus is unstable because of exposure to extreme levels of radiation and its age. Construction began about a month after the 1986 accident, under highly dangerous conditions, and was completed in November of that year. This initial protection, in the form of a massive steel-and-concrete structure, shielded the epicentre of the disaster from further contamination of the surrounding environment and protected the reactor from the effects of the elements.

In 2010, construction began on another structure designed to separate the sarcophagus from the outside environment and allow the remains of the reactor to be dismantled in a controlled manner. The result was the so-called “New Safe Confinement,” a huge steel shelter installed over the original one. This technical marvel, weighing 36,000 tonnes (three times the weight of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, for comparison), has a roof that could cover an area the size of 12 football pitches. It was completed in 2018.

The current project marks the next stage in what appears to be an endless process of securing the site, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of the accident. It is important to note that the current work involves dismantling only the unstable parts of the reactor.

The final, fourth stage, which will involve dismantling the entire reactor and clearing the site, is expected to be completed by 2065. No one can say for certain today whether that will be the case.