Costs Soar To € 1 Billion

Construction of a New confinement shelter for the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine may cost more the € 1 billion, according to government predictions last month. Ukrainian emergency situations minister David Zhvania has said that additional funds needed for the scheme are in place and the successful tenderer will be named later this month.

Construction of the shelter, which will cover the sarcophagus built immediately after the accident in 1986, was originally planned to start last year with work completed by 2008. Mr Zhvania said that preliminary construction on the shelter will now start in December this year. He also added that nearly all projects for Chernobyl are behind schedule.