A new structure built to confine the Chernobyl reactor at the center of the world’s worst nuclear disaster was seen Tuesday for the first time.
Reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded and burned down on April 26th, 1986.
The complex construction effort to secure the molten reactor’s core and 200 tons of highly radioactive material has taken nine years to complete under the auspices of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The entire shelter project cost almost $2.5 billion.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development managed a fund with contributions from 45 countries.
Ukraine was reportedly a big contributor, adding more than 100 million dollars in cash along with expertise and personnel.
The shelter is the largest moveable land-based structure ever built, with a span of almost 850 feet and a total weight of over 36,000 tons.
