The Chernobyl catastrophe in the night of April 26, 1986 has been carved into our collective memory and has revealed world-wide the danger accompanying the civil use of nuclear power.

The end of April sees the 26th anniversary of the reactor incident. The large-scale radioactively contaminated region around the reactor is uninhabitable and is still a prohibited military area.

The construction work for a new airtight protective covering, designed for a period of 100 years, has recently begun. It is intended to stretch over the destroyed reactor block and the old concrete sarcophagus in an arched shape. Kalzip is directly participating in the construction of the Chernobyl project. The internationally active manufacturer of metal building envelopes was awarded the contract for the construction elements for the stainless steel interior and exterior envelope at the end of March. Delivery of the materials and machines for the on-site production has already begun. A 29,000 ton metal construction with a height of 105 m, a length of 150 m and a span of 257 m is planned, which is to be completed by 2015.

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"The convincing test results of the special solution, which was specially developed for this particular purpose on the basis of our proven standing seam system were decisive for the award of the contract," said Managing Director Jörg Schwall. "The high demand on stability against wind suction forces of tornado class 3 was a particular challenge for our engineers."

In 2007, Ukraine awarded the contract for the new shelter to Novarka. Novarka is a French consortiumconsisting of the companies Vinci and Bouygues, which was founded solely for the construction of this shelter. The aim of the internationally funded project is to transform the Chernobyl site into an ecologically safe state.

The project will be financed by various donor countries; the main part of the building costs of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF) will be borne by the G8 states and the EU. Ukraine itself will also make a substantial contribution.

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