Ukrainian builders working in the Chornobyl exclusion zone will build a railway between the existing Vilcha-Yanov line and the site of construction of a Centralized Storage for Spent Nuclear Fuel (CSSNF). The relevant contract was concluded between the Energoatom state nuclear power company and the Ukrenergomontazh company, which is part of the Ukrbud construction corporation, stroyobzor.ua reports.

"We have been given 14 months to implement this project. The preparatory process is currently underway, and we will be able to begin construction of the tracks in a month. The total length of the new railway branch will be 5.8 kilometers," Ukrenergomontazh’s General Director Mykhailo Borodavko said.

Spent fuel from the existing Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be transported to the CSSNF via the new railway tracks. This is particularly important because storage facilities at Ukrainian nuclear power plants are almost full following the severance of economic ties between Ukraine and Russia, where spent nuclear fuel from Ukrainian nuclear power plants was previously sent for storage.

The new rail tracks to the CSSNF, which is located near the village of Buryakovka, will extend from the railway stretch between the Yanov and Shepelichi train stations.