en.Wedoany.com Reported - Following the completion of dismantling work on the reactor channels of Unit 1 at Lithuania's Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, the country's nuclear regulatory authority has issued a license permitting the dismantling and decontamination of equipment in the upper and lower zones of the reactor channels for Unit 2.
According to the approved technical design, the reactor top steam-water discharge pipelines, bottom water supply pipelines, and other related systems and their components will be dismantled, with preliminary treatment of radioactive waste. The project also includes the dismantling of the internal fuel channels within the reactor and the reactor control and safety channels.
Altra, the Lithuanian state-owned enterprise responsible for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, stated that the dismantling work is planned to begin by the end of 2026. Prior to this, the company will carry out preparatory work, such as installing engineering systems, testing remote-control equipment, and upgrading and modifying radioactive waste management infrastructure to handle the waste generated by the project. Altra stated that the dismantling of the first unit's reactor channels has been completed, and the license for the second unit paves the way for the continued progress of dismantling both reactors.
Linas Baužys, CEO of Altra, stated that no one in the world has ever dismantled a nuclear power plant of this scale and level of radiation contamination. Transitioning to Unit 2 is a significant step in the massive project of decommissioning the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The company has already dismantled two-thirds of the first reactor using its own resources. The remaining reactor core dismantling is complex and carries high radiation risks, so external contractors will be hired to complete it. The experience gained from dismantling Unit 1 allows the company to confidently advance the dismantling of Unit 2, and it is utilizing remote and robotics technology to ensure the highest safety standards are met.
According to Altra, since 2010, the nuclear power plant has begun dismantling unnecessary systems and equipment, with the overall dismantling progress reaching 45.7%. The final dismantling of the reactors, including the most complex reactor core dismantling, is planned for completion by 2043; all decommissioning-related work is scheduled to be completed by 2050, at which point the final cleanup of the reactor buildings will be conducted.
This year, Altra also plans to dismantle and decontaminate the steam drum separators for both units at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. There are eight such devices across the two units, each with a diameter of nearly 3 meters and a length of about 30 meters, with a total weight exceeding 6,000 tons. In November 2024, the US-based company Amentum was awarded a contract worth approximately 5.5 million euros (6.5 million US dollars) to provide consulting services for the steam drum separator dismantling work. This marks the first time such dismantling work is being undertaken at the plant.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Lithuania took over the two RBMK-1500 units at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which are similar to those at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. As a condition for joining the European Union, Lithuania agreed to close the nuclear power plant. Unit 1 was shut down in December 2004, and Unit 2 in December 2009. It is estimated that both reactors will be fully decommissioned by 2038, with the majority of the decommissioning costs to be provided by the EU through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other funds.
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