Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) has issued a license to Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (Ignalina NPP) whereby Ignalina NPP is permitted to construct very low level radioactive waste facility. The new licence came into force on March 18.
Michail Demčenko, VATESI’s Acting Head says it is the third license issued to Ignalina NPP for construction of radioactive waste management facilities. Under this licence Ignalina NPP will be authorized to construct very low level radioactive waste buffer storage, to install monitoring and measurement systems, also transportation and storage systems of radioactive waste.
Very low level radioactive waste storage facility it is a special storehouse to store very low level radioactive waste. Load capacity of the storage is 4000 m3. After the storage premises are filled in, radioactive waste will be taken into a special very low level radioactive waste repository approximately every 2 years. Overall total amount of very low level radioactive waste could reach up to 60 000 m3.
The facility will be constructed on the site of Ignalina NPP, municipality of Visaginas. The operation of buffer storage will be started in 2011. Main amount of radioactive waste will be taken from the existing storage facilities after retrieval, later from a dismantling and decontamination of Ignalina units.
The license have been issued under certain conditions, main of them appoint that Ignalina NPP must prepare the procedures for moving of radioactive waste to repository and to perform proper staff training for future activities. Also Ignalina NPP must assure sufficient fire protection.
State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) is a regulatory authority that supervises nuclear safety in Lithuania.
