Donors to EBRD's ICCA approve 1.1 mln euros to procure fire safety equipment for Chernobyl NPP zone

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - The International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) Assembly, which is managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), approved a 1.1-million-euro grant to procure necessary fire safety equipment for the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) zone.

Forest and peatland fires in the zone are a constant and significant concern due to radioactive contamination of the territory, Ukrainian media said, citing an EBRD press release.

"The funds are intended to finance the urgent procurement of fire safety equipment that is required to re-establish the Chernobyl exclusion zone [CEZ] administration's capacity to prevent, detect and fight forest fires across the 30-kilometer zone," it said.

The ICCA was established in November 2020 by the EBRD at the request of the Ukrainian government of Ukraine as a multilateral fund to support the development of a comprehensive plan for Chernobyl, to consolidate existing planning in the CEZ as well as optimize and integrate all approaches to radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Recently, the scope of the ICCA has been broadened to support the restoration of safety and security within the CEZ.