Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant requests a license to construct and operate a bituminous radioactive waste disposal facility
On February 17, 2026, the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) approved the schedule for the submission of safety justification documents of the application by SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant for a license to construct and operate a bituminous radioactive waste disposal facility.
Based on the requested license, SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant plans to reconstruct the currently operating bituminous radioactive waste storage facility, converting it into a surface disposal facility for short-lived low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
The bituminous radioactive waste storage facility is located on the premises of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Approximately 14,422 cubic meters of bituminous radioactive waste is stored in the canyons of the storage facility. It is planned that the waste disposal facility construction activities will include the reinforcement of the storage facility's structural elements, the installation of additional engineered barriers, and the covering of the waste disposal facility with waterproofing and protective layers of various soils in accordance with the established requirements.
In 2023, VATESI approved the site evaluation report for planned Bituminous radioactive waste disposal site, concluding that the site is suitable for the reconstruction and conversion of the operating bituminous radioactive waste storage facility into a disposal facility.
VATESI will decide on the issuance of the license no later than 24 months after receiving all the properly executed safety justification documents. The draft decision and related information will be made available to the public. The deadlines for submitting comments and proposals will be announced in a separate notice.