The Board of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU/DIYaRU – Derzhavnoi Inspektsii Yadernovo Regulyuvanniya Ukraini) has approved the nuclear and radiation safety assessment for the construction of a new radioactive waste storage facility, designated as Storage Facility No 11A, at the Buryakivka radioactive waste disposal site (PZRV – Punktu Zakhoronenniya Radioaktivnikh Vidkhodiv). This paves the way for the next stage of radioactive waste management within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
It provides continued disposal capacity for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste originating from the clean-up and decommissioning of the 1986 Chornobyl NPP accident. PZRV Buryakivka has historically operated 31 near-surface trench-type disposal facilities. The most recent trench began operating in 2018 and was completely filled to capacity at the end of 2023, making the new facility essential for ongoing operations.
The State Specialised Enterprise Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management (DSP TsPPRV – Derzhavne Spetsializovane Pidpriemstvo – Tsentralne Pidpriemstvo e Povodzhenniya e Radioaktivnimi Vidkhodami) finalised the construction design with the SNRIU in 2025 and applied for the construction licence in 2026. The assessment was jointly reviewed by SNRIU and the State Scientific & Technical Centre for Nuclear & Radiation Safety (DNTTs YaRB (Derzhavnii Naukovo Tekhnichnii Tsentr e Yadernoi ta Radiatsiinoi Bezpeki) and the evaluation confirmed the technical soundness and safety of the design documentation for the construction phase.
