Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany Carsten Schneider visited Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as part of his visit to Ukraine.
"Chornobyl, like no other place, epitomizes the dangers of nuclear energy. And today we see something else here as well: Russia's war of aggression is also threatening nuclear safety in Ukraine. Last February, the containment structure of the destroyed reactor was significantly damaged by a drone strike. Today, I saw this damage with my own eyes. It is clear that the protective shell must be repaired. There is no other option here," he said during his remarks as part of his visit to the nuclear power plant.
Schneider said a large amount of radioactive material still remains beneath the old sarcophagus, and the new protective shell must prevent this material from being released into the environment. At the same time, he said the repairs will cost at least EUR 500 million.
"And it is necessary so that one day the destroyed reactor can be safely dismantled. The repairs are extremely complex from a technical standpoint. And they are expensive. According to current estimates, at least EUR 500 million will be needed. Therefore, this is not a task that Ukraine can handle on its own. Germany assumed responsibility for this even during the construction phase of this containment structure. We made a significant contribution to its financing," the minister said.
He recalled that during Germany's presidency of the G7 in 2015, the remaining funds needed to complete the project were successfully raised at the international level.
"We continue to shoulder this responsibility today. Germany will work to ensure that the repairs are jointly funded at the international level. We need a fair distribution of the burden. And we want to involve as many countries as possible in this effort. Nuclear safety does not end at national borders. It is a shared international responsibility. Germany is taking on this responsibility – right here in Chornobyl," Schneider said.
He thanked the staff on site, as well as the experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, for their work.
As previously reported, on June 18, a delegation from Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety – led by Federal Minister Carsten Schneider – arrived in Kyiv.
