As part of the licensing process for the decommissioning of Lithuania’s Ignalina NPP (INPP), a safety analysis report has been prepared and was published on 15 June for public information and proposals. The purpose of the INPP Decommissioning Safety Analysis is to provide support in the selection of a decommissioning strategy, in the development of a decommissioning plan and related specific decommissioning activities, and to show that the exposure of workers and the public complies with the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle, and does not exceed the relevant limits or restrictions.
Safety is described by quantitative criteria (for example, such as the maximum amount of radionuclides released into the environment, the maximum allowable dose of ionising radiation that workers and residents can receive, the likelihood of an accident, etc).
During the safety analysis, the consequences of the activities carried out at the nuclear power facility will be consistently and systematically evaluated in terms of the established safety criteria. If, as a result of a safety assessment, it is determined that the limit values will not be exceeded during normal operation and in the event of an accident, then it will be assumed that the safety is justified, INPP said. Otherwise, it will be necessary to take measures to increase safety to an acceptable level.
Decommissioning of the Ignalina NPP and, accordingly, the safety assessment covers several nuclear facilities operated under separate licences: units 1 and 2 of the NPP; the solid radioactive waste storage buildings 155, 157, 157/1 (together with waste extraction modules); and the complex for processing liquid radioactive waste (bituminisation and cementing installations, and containers for liquid radioactive waste).
The Decommissioning Safety Assessment will be carried out f when all nuclear fuel has been removed from the Ignalina NPP units, which, in accordance with the final INPP decommissioning plan, is planned to be completed in 2022.
