Lithuania’s State Inspectorate for Physical Planning and Construction at the Ministry of the Environment has issued the Ignalina nuclear plant a building permit for a near-surface repository for low-level and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste (project B25).
The technical design provides for the construction of 36 concrete sections, separated into three compartments (12 compartments in a group), covering 100 000 m³. The burial ground, its protection zones and auxiliary structures necessary for the operation, will occupy an area of about 45 hectares. The repository will be built next to Ignalina NPP and for storing plant waste during decommissioning.
Completion of the first group of compartments and the start of operation of the repository is scheduled for 2023. Once it is in operation, construction of the second group of compartments will begin. When the first group of chambers is filled, it will be sealed and protected from environmental impact. The operation of the second phase will then begin. A decision has not yet been made about the third phase.
The technical design and safety justification report (project B25-1) was financed by the Ignalina International Decommissioning Support Fund (IIDSF) administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Donor countries include the European Commission, Austria, Belgium, the UK, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Photo: The Ignalina site
