Council Regulation (EU) 2021/101 of 25 January 2021 establishing the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1369/2013
(1) "decommissioning" means administrative and technical measures in accordance with national law which allow the removal of some or all of the regulatory controls from a nuclear facility and which aim to ensure the long-term protection of the public and the environment, including the reduction of the levels of residual radionuclides in the materials and on the site of the nuclear facility; (2) "decommissioning plan" means a document that contains detailed information on the proposed decommissioning and covers the following: the selected decommissioning strategy; the schedule, type and sequence of decommissioning activities; the waste management strategy applied, including clearance; the proposed end state; the storage and disposal of the waste from decommissioning; the timeframe for decommissioning; the cost estimates for the completion of decommissioning; and the objectives, expected results, milestones, target dates, as well as the corresponding key performance indicators, including, where appropriate, earned-value-based indicators. The decommissioning plan is prepared by the nuclear facility licence holder and is reflected in the multiannual work programmes of the Programme.
1. The general objective of the Programme is to assist Lithuania in implementing the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, with specific emphasis on managing the safety challenges in respect thereof. With the removal of spent fuel assemblies from the reactor buildings completed, the next major safety challenges to be tackled under the Programme are the dismantling of the reactors’ cores and the continued safe management of the decommissioning and legacy waste. 2. In the financing period starting as of 2021, the Programme will assist with activities included in the decommissioning plan submitted by Lithuania in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1369/2013, in particular the following: (a) dismantling and decontamination of the reactor shafts’ top and bottom zones and equipment in accordance with the decommissioning plan. Progress made in respect of this objective is to be measured by the quantity and type of materials removed as well as through earned value; (b) the design for the dismantling and decontamination of the reactor shafts’ central zones (graphite cores). Progress made in respect of this objective is to be measured through earned value. This objective is to be accomplished before 2027, when the relevant authorisations will be granted to carry out the actual dismantling and decontamination, which is scheduled to occur after 2027; (c) safe management of the decommissioning and legacy waste up to interim storage or to disposal (depending on the waste category), including the completion of the waste management infrastructure where necessary. This objective is to be accomplished in accordance with the decommissioning plan. Progress made in respect of this objective is to be measured by the quantity and type of waste safely stored or disposed of, as well as through earned value; (d) implementation of the building demolition programme. Progress made in respect of this objective is to be measured by the quantity of demolished buildings as well as through earned value; (e) obtaining the decommissioning licence once Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant are defueled; (f) downgrading of radiological hazards. Progress made in respect of this objective is to be measured through the safety assessments of the activities and the facility, identifying ways in which potential exposures could occur and estimating the probabilities and magnitude of potential exposures.
3. The decommissioning plan of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant established the Programme work breakdown structure (Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Activity and Projects Decomposition Hierarchical Structure). The first level of that structure consists of the following six items: (a) P.0 "Enterprise activity organisation"; (b) P.1 "Decommissioning preparation"; (c) P.2 "Facility dismantling/demolition and site restoration"; (d) P.3 "Spent Nuclear Fuel handling"; (e) P.4 "Waste handling"; (f) P.5 "Post-operation programme".
Item P.0 "Enterprise activity organisation" covers the enterprise management, surveillance and quality assurance, radiation and ecological monitoring, physical security, engineering consultancy and legal support for enterprise activities and public communication. Item P.1 "Decommissioning preparation" covers the provision of preliminary conditions for decommissioning (such as equipment inventory and radiological characterisation), the modification of infrastructure, the installation of equipment and the construction of facilities, the isolation of systems and equipment, and the decontamination of process systems, equipment and facilities. Item P.2 "Facility dismantling/demolition and site restoration" covers the dismantling of reactors, the dismantling of process equipment/systems and waste pre-treatment, the demolition of facilities, and site restoration. Item P.3 "Spent Nuclear Fuel handling" covers spent nuclear fuel handling and storage. Item P.4 "Waste handling" covers the treatment, conditioning, storage and disposal of very low, low and intermediate-level radioactive waste resulting from the operational and decommissioning activities. Item P.5 "Post-operation programme" covers the operation and maintenance of facilities, energy resources, the water supply, sewage and water purification. 4. Key safety challenges in the financing period from 1 January 2021 to31 December 2027 are tackled through activities under items P.1, P.2 and P.4. In particular, the dismantling of the reactors’ cores is covered under item P.2. Lesser challenges are tackled under item P.3, while items P.0 and P.5 cover decommissioning support activities.5. Accordingly, when preparing the multiannual work programme, the Commission, in close cooperation with Lithuania, will consider distributing the available amounts as per the priorities identified in Table 1, without prejudice to Article 8. Table 1 # Item Priority P.0 Enterprise activity organisation II P.1 Decommissioning preparation I P.2 Facility dismantling/demolition and site restoration I P.3 Spent Nuclear Fuel handling II P.4 Waste handling I P.5 Post-operation programme III 6. Knowledge and experience gained and lessons learnt under the Programme with regard to the decommissioning process shall be disseminated among Union stakeholders, thus enhancing the EU added value of the Programme. These activities may include: the development of ties and exchanges among Union stakeholders, including those initiated by Member States; the documentation of explicit knowledge and the making available of such knowledge through multilateral knowledge transfers on decommissioning and waste management governance issues, managerial best practices, and technological challenges and decommissioning processes at both operational and organisational level, with a view to developing potential EU synergies.
These activities are funded by the Union at a rate of 100 % of eligible costs. Progress made in respect of these activities is to be reported by the JRC and measured on the basis of indicators specified in its multiannual work programme. 7. The disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository and the preparation thereof is excluded from the financial envelope referred to in Article 4(1).
(1) Radioactive waste management: quantity and type of waste safely stored or disposed of, with annual objectives by type, meeting the milestones of the Programme;
(2) Dismantling and decontamination: quantity and type of materials removed, with annual objectives by type, meeting the milestones of the Programme.