COMPANY PROFILE
2014
INPP
+370 386 28985 | www.iae.lt/en
A unique decommissioning project
Editorial: Tim Hands
Situated in the Visaginas municipality of
At the time of its construction in 1978, the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) was the most powerful in the world, built to cater for the power needs not only of Lithuania, but also those of the North West of the former Soviet Union. Despite significant modification and upgrades to its reactors in recent years, however, the plant could not reach a required level of guaranteed safety, leading to the permanent closure of the last of its two units in December 2009.
Lithuania, the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) is a closed two-unit RBMK-1500 nuclear power station, Unit 1 of which was brought online in 1983. The restitution of Lithuania’s independence in 1990 saw the INPP become of even greater importance to the national energy system, producing in 1991 some 60 percent of the country’s energy, and recording a record figure in 1993 of 88 percent of the electricity necessary for the state, the largest contribution to the common electricity production in world nuclear history. Its 26 years of operation has seen the plant produce, with its two Units combined,
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INPP
INPP
307,9 billion kWh of electricity, selling in total
not be feasibly upgraded to an appropriate
restructuring, environmental upgrading and
279,8 billion kWh of this. Construction of a
level of safety. The significant upheaval
modernisation of the energy production,
third Unit did in fact begin at the plant during
associated with the decommissioning of
transmission and distribution sectors in
the 1980s, at which point the operation
a plant of this scope has been somewhat
Lithuania, as well as to enhancing the
of Unit 1 and construction of other units
mitigated by large-scale assistance from
security of energy supply and improving
accounted for the employment of 13,573
the EU, whose aid is foreseen not merely
energy efficiency in the country. The Ignalina
persons. Construction of a third Unit did in
for the decommissioning of the reactors,
Programme includes in addition measures to
fact begin in 1985, with the project reaching
but equally importantly to address issues
support plant personnel in maintaining a high
approximately 60 percent completion by
with maintaining adequate safety levels
level of operational safety at the INPP, both
the time of the Chernobyl disaster. This was
at the plant, primarily through promoting
in the period prior to closure and during the
brought to a halt in 1988 and demolition
responsibility and retraining at the INPP.
decommissioning exercise.
completed in 2009. A construction huge
EU SUPPORT
European Union, the closure of Unit 2 at
in scale, some 142 km of roads, 50 km of
Between the years of 1999 and 2013
the plant represented the termination of
railway, 390 km of communication lines, 334
Lithuania had been in receipt of a total of
Lithuania’s nuclear power generation, whose
km of electricity lines, 133 km of sewerage
€1.367 billion of community support for
electricity had provided the country with a
lines, as well as a colossal 3,544,000 m3
decommissioning, while further, much
major export as well as around 70% of the
of concrete and reinforced concrete and
smaller scale, funds have also been donated
electricity required by its population. The last
76,480 tonnes of reinforcement were
by many Member States through the Ignalina
of the years in which the plants two reactors
necessary to bring the INPP into operation.
International Decommissioning Support
were both online, 2004, saw the country
Fund. The Ignalina Programme covers many
produce 13.9 billion kWh out of a total 19.3
INPP came in large part due to concerns
different aspects of this task, all geared
billion kWh which its 3.5 million population
relating to weaknesses in the design of
toward supporting the decommission of
called for, still maintaining a production of 9.8
the containment, meaning that the RMBK
the INPP, and implementing measures
billion kWh in 2007 from its only remaining
reactors in use at the Ignalina plant could
following its closure to assure the necessary
operational nuclear reactor.
A condition of Lithuania’s entry into the
ordered in 1989, with the dismantling work
The decision to cease operations at the
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the European Union stated that, “the new
5650 tonnes of equipment to be dismantled
has meant that Lithuania has been forced to
nuclear power plant project has become
over the course of this year. The hope here
rely on importing over 60% of its electricity,
a very important goal of the Lithuania
is that such efficient assets realisation,
alongside bringing in almost 90% of the
government’s policy,” with the first of its
undertaken so as to assure the most efficient
gas it needs from Russia, at a significantly
reactors potentially coming online by 2018.
use of the enterprise funds and asset
The 2009 closure of this second reactor
management, will encourage Lithuanian and
higher price than that paid by other EU countries. Lithuania has however proposed
RECYCLING
foreign business representatives to pursue
building a new power plant to replace
The decommissioning activities around
more active participation in INPP public
the generation power of Ignalina, with the
the INPP were structured in such a way as
procurement and asset sale auctions. The
participation of its neighbouring countries,
to earn nearly six million Litas through the
generation of this additional income was in
Poland, Estonia and Latvia. Another two-
sale of various steel and electronic scrap,
turn supplemented by massive reductions
unit plant with a capacity of up to 3,400
redundant equipment, written off vehicles,
in expenditure on energy resources at the
megawatts, it would be sited at Visaginas,
office equipment, building materials and
Plant, with outgoings around 13 million Litas
near to Ignalina, at an estimated cost of €6.7
timber in 2013. This material was sold via
less than had been expected. This reduction
billion. The government’s notice of public
a series of 57 auctions, and is likely to be
was primarily achieved due to the technical
work concession in the Official Journal of
supplemented by a similar profiting from the
and organisational measures of then Energy
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INPP process.”
Resources Saving Programme at the Plant,
of the existing Ignalina NPP’s cranes at the
which brought about savings of nine percent
spent fuel storage pool halls is necessary
with regards electricity, 14 percent in heat
to satisfy the technical preconditions of one
Ignalina was approved in 2005 by the order
consumption and ten percent less gas and
of the key decommissioning projects. This
of the Minister of Economy of the Republic
water, respectively in comparison with the
project is specifically important because
of Lithuania and loosely follows three stages,
figures of 2012.
introducing a single-failure-proof system will
from initial suspension, followed by the
ensure the safe handling of spent fuel during
most technically-challenging dismantling,
operations at the units.”
through to the demolition or re-use of the
HEAVY LIFTING In February of this year, the INPP issued
With over 50 years of nuclear experience,
The Final Decomissioning Plan (FDP) at
buildings. The site is expected to reach
a crane modernisation project order to
and one of the most experienced and
brownfield status by 2029, in such a way as
Konecranes, with a view to upgrading
diversified engineering teams in the nuclear
to allow for a rehabilitation of the territory and
two existing spent fuel cask cranes to the
material handling business at its disposal,
economic development while preserving the
superior Konecranes SuperSafe single-
Konecranes is perfectly equipped to
infrastructure currently in place
failure-proof trolley design.
undertake this vital work, as details Nicholas
A key part of the decommissioning
Bellwood, Konecranes’ Sales Director
process, nuclear spent fuel needs to
Nuclear in Europe: “We understood the high
be moved from the power plant to a
safety requirements that INPP had for the
storage facility, and this modernisation by
nuclear power plant and it was the perfect
Konecranes will move casks with spent fuel
match to our SuperSafe single-failure-proof
from the pool and allow the casks to be
crane technology. We also understood that
relocated to the other facility.
INPP has very important schedules that
Darius Janulevicius, Director General of
must be adhered to for the decommissioning
INPP, spoke of the central safety concerns
to carry on as planned, as the cranes are
the upgrade will address. “Modernisation
an integral part of the decommissioning
“The new nuclear power plant project has become a very important goal of the Lithuania government’s policy”
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