Un nou sarcofag pentru centrala de la Cernobîl
November 27, 2012
La centrala nucleară de la Cernobîl, în Ucraina, a început construcția unui nou sarcofag, învelișul de protecție împotriva radiației. Compania de stat, Chernobyl Atom Electrostation spune că pe 26 noiembrie a fost instalată secțiunea estică a unui arc al sarcofagului. Acesta va costa 1,5 miliarde de euro. Cea mai mare parte a sumei a fost colectată prin donaţii în cadrul unei reuniuni la nivel mondial, iar Ucraina a contribuit cu 6% din total.
Prima fază de asamblare a acestei construcţii, cu o înălţime de 108 metri şi o masă de 20.000 de tone, a început deja, a precizat Banca Europeană pentru Reconstrucţie şi Dezvoltare (BERD), însărcinată cu gestionarea fondurilor prevăzute pentru acest proiect.
“Fondurile necesare sunt disponibile, iar lucrările decurg conform calendarului, fără întârzieri, pentru ca noua incintă să fie completată şi instalată deasupra reactorului avariat până la jumătatea lui 2015, aşa cum s-a prevăzut”, a declarat Anton Usov, purtătorul de cuvânt al reprezentanţei BERD.
Reactorul distrus a fost acoperit cu o cameră de izolare din beton – sarcofag, în lunile imediat următoare dezastrului din 1986. Aceasta însă s-a degradat în timp, iar în prezent există pericolul unor scurgeri radioactive.
Costul total al acestei operaţiuni este estimat la 1,5 miliarde de euro. În urmă cu un an, din această sumă lipseau 750 de milioane de euro. Comunitatea internaţională a deblocat 550 de milioane de euro în cadrul unei Conferinţe internaţionale la Kiev, în 2011, prin care s-au marcat 25 de ani de la catastrofă. Restul sumei a fost adăugată de către BERD.
Consorţiul Novarka, format de societăţile franceze Bouygues şi Vinci, au câştigat în 2007 o licitaţie pentru construirea unui nou sarcofag etanş, ce va fi asamblat pe un teren adiacent reactorului, iar ulterior instalat deasupra vechii şape de ciment.
Ucraina lucrează în prezent la un program guvernamental extins destinat „revitalizării” zonelor contaminate adiacente centralei nucleare de la Cernobîl, a susţine premierul Mykola Azarov. Potrivit unor experţi, nivelul radiaţiei în zona de excludere de la Cernobîl a scăzut semnificativ în ultimii ani, a subliniat Azarov, adăugând că în afara zonei de excludere, în regiunea Kiev, nu există zone locuite cu niveluri ridicate de radiaţie.
„Există motive întemeiate pentru revitalizare, oferirii unei «a doua vieţi» acestor case abandonate, oraşe şi zone rezidenţiale. Ele reprezintă locuri de muncă şi venituri suplimentare pentru bugetul nostru”, a subliniat premierul.
Explozia nucleară care a avut loc pe 26 aprilie 1986 a emanat cantitati uriaşe de reziduuri radioactive în atmosferă, efectul fiind resimtit în URSS şi în Europa. Aproximativ 25.000 de persoane au fost ucise şi peste 200.000 au fost nevoite să se mute, după explozia de la Cernobîl din 1986. Totodată, după incident a fost stabilită o zonă de 30 de kilometri de excludere. La 36 de ore după explozia de la Cernobîl, 1200 de autobuze au evacuat populaţia oraşului Pripiat, situat în apropiere. Şi astăzi, oraşul Pripiat este pustiu iar nivelul radiaţiilor este atât de crescut încât este intezis accesul oamenilor mai des de o dată la două săptamâni.
În prezent, situl este muzeu al erei sovietice, fiind în continuare o zonă periculoasă, care nu va putea fi locuită de oameni timp de cel puţin câteva secole. Specialiştii estimează că vor trece în jur de 900 de ani până când elementele radioactive vor fi eliminate din mediu.
Defense News
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According to the figures provided by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), in 2017 the UK sold arms to Israel worth 221 million pounds ($294 million), indicating a huge increase from 86 million pounds in 2016 and 20 million pounds in 2015, The Guardian outlet reported. According to the newspaper, the list includes equipment, small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights and sniper rifles.
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The White House said Trump had agreed to the encounter. “He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.
Argentina Navy Chief fired after ARA San Juan submarine tragedy
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The ARA San Juan has not been heard from since, despite a multi-national search effort some 250 miles off the Argentinian coast. Hopes for finding the submarine and its crew faded when the search passed 10 days, which was the amount of time the San Juan would have been able to sustain life with its limited oxygen supply.
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Mr Ruutu is currently the Deputy National Armaments Director at the Finnish Ministry of Defence and Director of the Materiel Unit at the Resource Policy Department. He chairs the Defence Administration Commercial Board and the Export Control Advisory Group and is also Deputy Chairman of the Defence Materiel Steering Group, as well as a member of the Defence Forces’ Technology Board and the Defence Administration’s Industrial Cooperation Group. Also Mr Ruutu worked at the EDA between 2009 and 2014, in the Strategy and Policy Unit.
Mattis visits India to ask more help in Afghanistan
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was in the Indian capital on Tuesday, marking the first visit to the country by a Cabinet-level official from President Donald Trump’s administration. In meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials, Mattis was expected to focus discussions on security in Afghanistan, military technology and a possible deal on fighter jets. Over the weekend, the US Defense Department said that the “US views India as a valued and influential partner.” Last month, Trump urged India to help more with security efforts in Afghanistan, as Washington steps up its own military campaign against Taliban insurgents who have gained ground. (AP)
North Korea fires second ballistic missile over Japan
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile across Japan, creating new tension in the region after its nuclear bomb test less than two weeks ago. The missile reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles), travelling 3,700km before landing in the sea off Hokkaido, South Korea’s military says. It flew higher and further than one fired over Japan late last month.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would “never tolerate” such “dangerous provocative action”. South Korea responded within minutes by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea in a simulated strike on the North. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also condemned the launch and the UN Security Council will meet later on Friday, 15 September 2017, in New York at the request of America and Japan.
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