France To Provide Additional EUR 30M For Repairs To Chernobyl NPP Protective Arch

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) France's Minister of Economy and Finance Roland Lescure announced the additional contribution to journalists ahead of the opening of the donor conference on November 9, Ukrinform reports, citing BFMTV.

"France has already allocated €10 million for preliminary studies. It is now adding another €30 million, bringing its total contribution to €40 million. This is certainly a significant share of the joint funding," Lescure said.

At the closing of the conference, Benjamin Haddad, France's Minister Delegate for European Affairs, announced that 15 donors had confirmed commitments totaling €278 million. According to a preliminary estimate by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), fully restoring the arch will cost at least €500 million.

Lescure recalled that in October, G7 countries announced their intention to allocate €260 million for the repairs during a meeting of finance ministers in Bangkok. He said the full amount needed was expected to be raised by spring 2027.

"We must continue our work and broaden the circle of donors. That is precisely why we have brought everyone together today," the minister said. He emphasized that the joint funding would help Ukraine and ensure nuclear safety in Chornobyl.

The conference was co-chaired by France, Ukraine, and the EBRD. Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Energy Anatolii Kutsevol, who attended the meeting in Paris, expressed confidence that partners would be able to raise the entire amount required.

Read also: Germany to provide EUR 50M for restoration of Chornobyl confinement structure

As Ukrinform reported, on February 14, 2025, a Russian drone struck the New Safe Confinement over the destroyed fourth power unit of the Chornobyl NPP. The strike damaged both the outer and inner cladding of the arch, as well as its safety systems. According to the EBRD, the structure must be fully restored by 2030 to reduce the risk of corrosion to its steel structures.

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