SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant received a permit to dismantle the steam drum-separators of both units
17 December, 2025. State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) issued a permit to SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) to carry out dismantling of the steam drum-separators of both units in accordance with the agreed dismantling project.
Under the agreed dismantling project, eight steam-drum separators and related systems (pipelines, thermal isolation) will be dismantled, metal structures will be dismantled and decontaminated, and radioactive waste will be managed.
Dismantling work is scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. Until then, the company will carry out preparatory works: install engineering systems, test remote control equipment, upgrade and adapt the radioactive waste management infrastructure for waste management, install sanitary loops, personnel radiation monitoring and control measures.
In order to ensure an adequate level of radiation safety, taking into account the specificity of the planned work and the level of radionuclide contamination of the equipment to be dismantled, the company plans to use remotely controlled equipment for dismantling and radioactive waste management.
Steam drums-separators in Ignalina nuclear power plant units were used to separate steam from the steam-water mixture during reactor operation. The steam was supplied through pipes to turbines to generate electricity.
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 justified 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 justify the safety of decommissioning activities and confirmed that they comply with the safety requirements for such activities.
This is the third permit issued by VATESI for the implementation of dismantling and decommissioning projects since the issuance of the Ignalina NPP decommissioning license in October 2024.
Diagram: Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant reactor and related systems.