Space Industry and Business News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
France pledges 10 mn euros for Chernobyl repair: Europe bank
France pledges 10 mn euros for Chernobyl repair: Europe bank
by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) May 14, 2025

France will contribute 10 million euros to help fix a radiation cover at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine allegedly hit by a Russian drone, Europe's development bank announced Wednesday.

The amount, equivalent to $11.2 million, was unveiled at the annual conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London.

Ukraine has accused Russia of using an explosive drone to damage the containment vault at the power plant in February, in an attack that did not result in any radiation being released.

In 1986, a reactor at Chernobyl exploded during a botched safety test, resulting in the world's worst nuclear accident, which sent clouds of radiation across much of Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Following the incident this year, France has offered funds "to support the restoration of the key functions of" the cover, referred to as the New Safe Confinement.

The "strike rendered systems designed to ensure the NSC's 100-year lifespan non-operational and significantly increased the risk of further deterioration in the absence of swift emergency repairs", said the EBRD, established in 1991 to help former Soviet bloc nations embrace free-market economies.

Thanks to funds from France, the EBRD said it "will support measures to repair the external cladding to stop the ingress of water.

"In the longer term, work will be carried out to restore the core functionality of the facility to minimise the release of further contaminated dust into the environment," the bank added.

France's pledge adds to the EBRD-managed International Chernobyl Cooperation Account, previously holding 25 million euros in funds.

French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Pierre Heilbronn, said the contribution "illustrates France's longstanding support for Ukraine.

"French companies played a crucial role in building the NSC (up to completion in 2019), and we hope that this first contribution, which comes only three months after the drone attack, should unlock further pledges from partner countries."

British newspaper The Guardian said the repairs could total tens of millions of euros.

The EBRD on Wednesday said it was too early to precise the cost of fixing the cover.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Second Fukushima debris removal trial complete
Tokyo (AFP) April 23, 2025
A tricky operation to remove a second sample of radioactive debris from inside Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant has been completed, the site operator said Wednesday. Dangerously high radiation levels mean that removing melted fuel and other debris from the plant hit by a huge tsunami in 2011 is seen as the most daunting challenge in the decades-long decommissioning project. Around 880 tonnes of hazardous material are inside the power station - the site of one of history's worst nuclear ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Fortnite' unavailable on Apple devices worldwide

Glasgow Lab to Test Space-Bound 3D-Printed Materials for Safety

Atomic-Level Precision and Strong Oxidation Unite in GOALL-Epitaxy for Advanced Material Growth

Accelerating Mathematical Discovery with AI for Tomorrow's Breakthroughs

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Space Laser Communication Terminal Prototypes Enter Phase 2 for Advanced On-Orbit Crosslink Compatibility

China launches advanced Tianlian II-05 relay satellite to boost space communications

Sidus Space awarded US patent allowance for modular satellite system

HRL and Boeing advance quantum satellite communications milestone

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Satellites Enhance Navigation Safety on the Mersey with Cutting-Edge Tidal Mapping

Sierra Space Reaches Key Milestone in Space Force R-GPS Program

Children as young as five can navigate a 'tiny town'

Digging Gets Smarter with Trimble's Siteworks Upgrade for Excavators

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Estonia slams 'threat' after Russia violates airspace

Japanese military training plane crashes with two on board

Rights groups urge court to halt UK fighter jet supplies to Israel

Boeing April deliveries hit by US-China trade war

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
China's Xiaomi to invest nearly $7 bn in chips

China slams US 'bullying' over new warnings on Huawei chips

Naturally Occurring Clay Shows Promise for Sustainable Quantum Technology

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Rocket Lab Completes Third Successful iQPS Mission with More Launches Scheduled for 2025

From GPS to weather forecasts: the hidden ways Australia relies on foreign satellites

German Satellite Achieves First Simultaneous CO2 and NO2 Measurements from Power Plant Emissions

Reveal and Maxar Expand Farsight Platform with High-Resolution Satellite Data Integration

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
The US towns that took on 'forever chemical' giants -- and won

Polar bear biopsies to shed light on Arctic pollutants

The US towns that took on 'forever chemical' giants -- and won

Copenhagen to offer giveaways to eco-friendly tourists

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.