SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant received a permit to dismantle a second unit reactor equipment and structures
31 March, 2026. State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) issued a permit to SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) to carry out dismantling and decontamination work on the main circulation loop equipment and structures of the upper and lower reactor sections of the second power unit.
In accordance with the approved technical design, the steam-water discharge piping at the top of the reactor and the water supply piping at the bottom of the reactor, as well as other related systems and their components, will be dismantled, and initial treatment of radioactive waste will be carried out. The project also includes the dismantling of the fuel channels and the reactor control and safety channels located within the reactor.
Dismantling work is scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. Until then, the company will carry out preparatory work: install engineering systems, test remote control equipment, and upgrade and adapt the radioactive waste management infrastructure to handle the waste generated during this project.
In order to ensure an adequate level of radiation safety, taking into account the specific of the planned work and the level of radionuclide contamination of the equipment to be dismantled, the company plans to use also a remotely controlled equipment for dismantling and radioactive waste management.
According to the current legal framework, once the licence to carry out decommissioning activities has been issued by VATESI, specific dismantling works of the Ignalina NPP units can only be carried out after the safety of these works has been substantiated in the decontamination and dismantling projects and their safety analysis reports and the relevant permits have been obtained.
VATESI specialists assessed the documents submitted by the company to substantiate the safety of decommissioning activities and confirmed that they comply with the safety requirements for such activities.
This is the fourth permit issued by VATESI for the implementation of dismantling and decommissioning projects since the issuance of the decommissioning license in October 2024.