Vince Novak, EBRD Nuclear Safety Director, led the foreign press group through the Chernobyl during the snows of February. Tuesday he told VOA from Kyiv:

"As a fund manager I am greatly relieved because that tells me that we can proceed full speed ahead with both of the large projects that we need to complete," said Novak.

Work has already started on the giant structure. To protect workers' health, it is being built 300 meters away from the Chernobyl plant, which still holds 200 tons of radioactive fuel and material.

Laurin Dodd explains that it will be built on rails.

"When it is actually ready to be slid into place it will be, I am told, one of the largest structures ever moved on land," noted Dodd.

The new shell will be two football fields wide and two and a half football fields long.

"The new safe confinement shell will be something like 16 or 17 stories high. You could fit the Statue of Liberty quite comfortably inside of it," added Dodd.

Inside, a central beam will hold a remote controlled moveable crane. This will be used to pick apart the old shell and then remove the molten radioactive mass from the bowels of the old plant. Special ventilation systems will filter air for release to the atmosphere and a heating systems will prevent the buildup of condensation.

"It's being designed for a 100 year life, which means that we have to maintain corrosion control over that period of time. Basically, we have to prevent rusting. So there will be extensive heating and ventilation systems," Dodd said.