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April 9, 2018. State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) concluded that nuclear facilities in Lithuania operated safely during 2017. The evaluated inspection results showed the accepted safety level of nuclear and radiation safety, physical security in facilities and licensees 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.

There were no serious process failures in nuclear facilities commissioning and operation in 2017. According to VATESI requirements for information about unusual events in 2017 4 unusual events were reported by Ignalina NPP (3 – 2016) that were rated below the scale (0 level) on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES). Reported unusual events 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 2017, VATESI conducted 49 inspections (48 in 2016). 44 inspections took place at Ignalina NPP, 2 in State Enterprise Radioactive Waste Management Agency (RATA). Metesta UAB, Vilniaus metrologijos centras AB and SMT Group UAB were each entity inspected once and inspectors checked their accounting systems and control of nuclear material.

During inspections at Ignalina NPP, VATESI inspectors were predominantly focused on safety requirements during maintenance, fire safety and ageing management of structures, systems and components important to safety of shut-downed units. VATESI also inspected how safety requirements were met when performing works under projects of dismantling and decontamination, managing radioactive waste, ensuring physical security and radiation protection of the nuclear facilities and nuclear materials, ensuring emergency preparedness, how employees of Ignalina NPP were trained and how their sufficient qualifications were ensured.

In 2017, enforcement measures regarding 29 violations (14 in 2016) identified during the inspections were applied under the procedure set forth by law. Mainly violations were made regarding improper sorting of nuclear waste, marking of dual-use nuclear goods, operation of technically unfit cranes, records and incompleteness of documentation of commissioning of radioactive waste treatment equipment, incompleteness of records of crane surveillance and lack of instructions for bridge cranes operations. As Ignalina NPP commissioned new facilities and there were more activities with testing of technologies, VATESI identified more non-conformities than in previous 2016 year.

State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) is the state regulatory and supervisory authority in the nuclear safety field in Lithuania.