News

March 4, 2024. State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) concluded that nuclear facilities in Lithuania operated safely during 2023. The evaluated inspection and regulatory review results showed the high safety level of nuclear and radiation safety, nuclear security in facilities and licensee made adequate provisions to ensure safety and security of public and environment while ensuring that Lithuania continued to meet its international obligations on the peaceful use of nuclear materials.

State Enterprise Ignalina NPP had three unusual events that were rated below the scale (0 level) on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) which had no impact on safety, the dose limits of operating personnel were not exceeded and there were no identified releases of radioactive material into the environment.

In 2023, VATESI conducted 59 inspections (56 in 2022). Most of the inspections were performed at State Enterprise Ignalina NPP.

During 45 inspections at Ignalina NPP, VATESI inspectors focused on safety requirements related with maintenance of permanently shut-down unit systems and components important to safety, works under projects of dismantling and decontamination, management of radioactive waste, transport of radioactive waste to the storage facilities, ensuring physical security and radiation protection of the nuclear facilities and nuclear and other radioactive materials, fire protection, cybersecurity, ensuring emergency preparedness, non-proliferation obligations, how employees of Ignalina NPP were trained and how their sufficient qualifications were ensured.

In 2023, 27 violations were identified during the inspections (21 in 2022). No violations were found that could directly affect the exposure doses of workers, could damage safety barriers, could deteriorate the properties of safety-critical equipment and could cause radionuclide releases into the environment. All identified violations enterprises are eliminating by agreed schedule and measures.

Very few unusual events in the nuclear facilities and no serious violations which could affect the provision of essential safety functions demonstrates reached high safety level in the permanently shut-down Ignalina NPP and other nuclear facilities in Lithuania. Similarly, economic entities operating in the ionising radiation environment at nuclear facilities and holders of small quantities of nuclear material have ensured a high level of safety in their activities.

State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) is an independent governmental organisation for regulatory control of nuclear safety, radiation safety at nuclear facilities as well as physical security and nuclear materials in Lithuania.