Application by Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant to issue a licence to construct and operate a Bituminous radioactive waste disposal facility (2024-01-15)

On 15 January 2024, the State Nuclear Energy Safety Inspectorate (hereinafter - VATESI) received an application from the SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant to issue a license of the type specified in Article 22(1)(3) of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Nuclear Safety to construct and operate a Bituminous Surface Disposal Facility for Low and Intermediate Level Short-lived Radioactive Waste.

Together with the application, the SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (hereinafter - INPP), in accordance with the requirements of legal acts, also submitted a schedule for submitting application documents to VATESI. This schedule was revised several times in response to comments provided by VATESI. On 29 January 2026, INPP submitted an updated schedule, which was approved by VATESI on 17 February 2026.

 Information on the nuclear facility

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.