Following the catastrophic 1986 nuclear accident in Chernobyl, reactor number 4 was hurriedly covered with a concrete and lead sarcophagus. Built under extreme and lethal conditions, that temporary shield deteriorated rapidly over the decades, threatening to collapse and release tons of radioactive dust into the atmosphere.
To resolve this danger without exposing workers to lethal doses of radiation, engineers devised an unprecedented maneuver: building the New Safe Confinement 327 meters away from the reactor in a previously decontaminated area, and later moving it intact to its final position.
The figures of this megastructure defy any conventional scale:
- Astronomical dimensions: Standing 108 meters high, 162 meters long, and with a span of 257 meters, its dome is tall enough to house the Statue of Liberty or the central nave of Notre Dame inside.
- Colossal weight: The complete arch weighs about 36,000 tons, three times the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
- A millimeter journey: In November 2016, a sophisticated system of 224 hydraulic jacks pushed the arch along special Teflon-coated rails at a speed of barely 10 meters per hour, covering the distance in about 40 effective hours of continuous movement.
Designed to withstand temperatures ranging from -43 °C to +45 °C, tornado-force winds, and magnitude 6 earthquakes, the gigantic airtight dome guarantees a century of safe isolation, equipped inside with robotic cranes to remotely dismantle the remains of the cursed reactor.
Source: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) - Chernobyl New Safe Confinement Project
