Lithuania starts de-fueling nuclear reactors

Ignalina nuclear power plant (NPP) in eastern Lithuania started operating its new interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility with delivery of the first cargo on Friday.

Lithuanian officials say the start of exploitation of the B1 facility marks an important milestone in decommissioning the country's nuclear power plant.

"The removal of spent nuclear fuel from the reactors has started," Rokas Baliukovas, deputy minister of energy, said in an official opening ceremony of the facility.

On Friday, the first cask with spent nuclear fuel was placed at the temporary storage facility, according to the energy ministry. Around 190 casks are to be removed to the facility for 50 years storage before removing the waste for permanent disposal underground.

"Complete removal of spent nuclear fuel from both reactors of Ignalina NPP is planned for achievement by the end of 2022," said the ministry in a press release.

De-fueling Ignalina NPP's two nuclear reactors is part of the power plant's decommissioning works.

Lithuania closed its NPP's second unit in 2009 and has been decommissioning the power plant as a condition of the Baltic state's entry into the European Union (EU) agreed on in 1999. The EU viewed Ignalina NPP as high risk and agreed to cover the costs of decommissioning.

Since the start of decommissioning, the project saw delays and increase in costs. According to the final plan of the Ignalina NPP decommissioning, the project completion is scheduled for 2038 with total costs of 2.6 billion euros (2.9 billion U.S. dollars).

Initially, the project was planned to be completed by 2029 with total costs of 1.24 billion euros.

According to local media, the initial deadlines could not be met due to delays of the B1 interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility project. Endit