Lithuania is starting the world’s first-ever Chernobyl-style cleanup
Nobody has ever tried to dismantle these massive RBMK reactors before, but Lithuania is diving in headfirst.
Ever wonder what happens to a Chernobyl-type reactor after the lights go out? Usually, people just leave them alone because they are too radioactive to touch. But Lithuania has decided they are done waiting and is becoming the first country in history to tear down an RBMK reactor.
Humans aren't even going near the core—they are sending in advanced robots to do the heavy lifting. They are currently looking for international contractors, mostly from the United States or France, to handle the gnarly graphite parts. Meanwhile, the town of Visaginas is trying to pivot into nuclear tourism, hoping people will pay to see the dismantling process. A strange way to spend a weekend, but at least the safety protocols remain strict.
The plan is to have this entire thing finished by 2049, assuming they can actually find a place to dump the waste without politicians fighting over the map. It turns out that taking apart a nuclear power plant is exactly as complicated as it sounds.
Source: LRT
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