Lithuania

Nuclear regulatory authority

The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) regulates nuclear safety and radiation protection at nuclear power and waste management facilities; safety and security of nuclear installations and nuclear materials; transportation safety of nuclear materials; and non-proliferation issues concerning nuclear weapons.

Nuclear activities

Lithuania has one nuclear power plant, Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant with two RMBK-1500 units which are both closed. Unit-1 was finally shutdown in 2004 and Unit-2 in 2009. The Maišiagala Radon-type waste storage facility is closed too. In the vicinity of Ignalina NPP there is an interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility and a cemented radioactive waste storage facility. The following nuclear facilities are projected for 2011-2018: the Visaginas nuclear power plant; a new spent nuclear fuel storage facility; facilities for treatment and storage of solid radioactive waste; a very-low-level radioactive waste repository; and a low and intermediate radioactive waste repository.

Radioactive waste and spent fuel management

In accordance with the Radioactive Waste Management Strategy approved by the Government in 2008, Ignalina NPP is responsible for the implementation of a new classification system of radioactive waste, and has to install equipment for conditioning of radioactive waste, storage facilities of radioactive waste as well as the repositories of short-lived radioactive waste.

• Operating spent nuclear fuel storage facility In February 2009, VATESI issued a permit for loading and storage of 12 additional containers of CONSTROR RBMK-1500 type at the dry interim storage facility of spent nuclear fuel (overall storage capacity increased till 120 containers: 100 CONSTOR RBMK-1500 type, 20 of CASTOR RBMK). The dry interim storage facility of spent nuclear fuel is fully loaded.

• New spent nuclear fuel storage facility (project B1) On 2 September 2009, VATESI issued a license to Ignalina NPP for the construction of a new spent nuclear fuel storage facility. The start-up of operation of the new spent nuclear fuel storage facility is scheduled for 2011; the spent nuclear fuel will be stored for a 50-year period. The storage facility will be constructed in the territory of Ignalina NPP, in Visaginas municipality. It is planned to load 91 spent nuclear fuel assemblies into one container and to store 201 containers at the storage facility.

• Solid radioactive waste management and storage facilities (project B3/4) On 27 August 2009, VATESI issued a license to Ignalina NPP for the construction of new solid radioactive waste management and storage facilities. The project B3/4 comprises of two starages: one is projected for short-lived radioactive waste (about 2500 m3) and long-lived radioactive waste (about 2000 m3). Facilities could be extended if necessary.

• Very low level radioactive waste facility (project B19-1) On 18 March 2010 ATESI has issued a license to Ignalina NPP, whereby Ignalina NPP is permitted to construct very low level radioactive waste facility. Load capacity of this buffer storage is 4000 m3. After the storage premises are filled in, radioactive waste will be taken into a separate very low level radioactive waste repository approximately every 2 years. Overall total amount of very low level radioactive waste could reach up to 60 000 m3.

Main legal instruments

The key legal documents associated with the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are the Law on Nuclear Energy, the Law on Radioactive Waste Management, and the Law on Radiation Protection. Based on the mentioned Laws, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and its institutions develop secondary legislation, with VATESI being responsible for establishing nuclear safety, nuclear materials accounting and control as well as physical safety (security) regulations.

Other legal instruments are available on VATESI website: www.vatesi.lt
Legal documents (in Lithuanian)
System of legislation (in English, scheme)
Law on Radiation Protection (in English)
VATESI annual report 2009 (in English)VATESI annual report 2009 (in English)