Very low-level radioactive waste treatment facilities

Very low level radioactive waste storage facility

Very low level radioactive waste repository
 

Very low level radioactive waste storage facility

Status: in operation

Very low radioactive waste storage facility (Project B19-1) has been constructed on a territory of Ignalina NPP and being operated since 2013. Facility has special unit for characterization of the packages of radioactive waste (determination of the radionuclide composition) and buffer storage. It contains three type of packages: bundles of compressed solid radioactive waste (waste wrapped in steel strips and polyethylene film), flexible plastic containers (FIBC package) filled with used ion exchange resins in and half-height ISO containers filled with uncompressed solid waste. The intended capacity of the buffer storage is 4000 m³. Later, accumulated waste will be placed into very low level radioactive waste repository.

The planned operational term of the storage facility is about 30 years, until the decontamination and dismantling of buildings and structures at the Ignalina NPP industrial site is completed.

Very low level radioactive waste repository

Status: in operation

Repository for very low level radioactive waste is a near-surface disposal facility at ground level for emplacement of waste with no intention of retrieving it in the future. Natural and installed artificial (engineering) barriers ensure that harmful quantities of radioactivity are not released into the environment. Surveillance of the repository must be carried out for at least 100 years after closure. Over this period, the activity of this waste will automatically decrease and become non-hazardous to people and the environment.This landfill-type repository built in Visaginas municipality, near Ignalina NPP (project B19-2). It will consist of three modules with the capacity of up to 20 000 m³ each.

The packages of very low radioactive waste transported from the other Ignalina NPP radioactive waste treatment facilities are placed on a reinforced concrete foundation.

It contains half-height ISO containers with uncompressed solid radioactive waste, plastic bundles with compressed radioactive waste and flexible plastic containers (FIBC package) with spent ion exchange resins. Packaging-filled modules are covered with a multilayer coating of layers of consisting of sand, gravel, bentonite and high density polyethylene film, gravel and geotextile and topsoil and soil. These barriers will prevent water penetration into the waste stack and washout of radionuclides from the waste to the surrounding environment.

Repository will be completely filled with the radioactive waste packages in about 20 years. After closure, active repository surveillance (radiological and environmental monitoring, physical security) should be carried out for another 30 years. Restriction on land use near repository will remain for next 70 years. Similar disposal faciliites have been already put into operation in Sweden, France and Spain.

In December, 2015 VATESI issued the licence to the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant authorising the construction and operation of very low-level radioactive waste disposal facility (project B19-2).

On April 1, 2022 VATESI issued a permit to the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant for transportation of radioactive waste to the Very low level radioactive waste repository and conduct tests of the repository systems using radioactive waste for the first time.

On June 30, 2025 VATESI issued a permit to the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant for the industrial operation of the Very low-level radioactive waste repository.