Bordering Belarus, on the southern shores of Lithuania’s Lake Druksiai, is one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants. Its operators are striving to meet international safety standards to avoid another Chernobyl catastrophe.
Billions of dollars are being spent to enhance its safety. Its operators harbour no concerns. We can operate the plant for another 20 years without any problems, says Yuri Saburov. He is manager of the inspection department at Ignalina, where 68 technicians are responsible for in-service inspection during technical maintenance of the reactors. The Russian way of operating a nuclear plant has been abandoned, he says. We have mixed western and eastern technology into what is considered safe nuclear power production. We make use of new non-destructive testing equipment and upgraded safety procedures, and are now being licenced by the Lithuanian authorities for continued operation.
Western society still worries about the plants safety. If Lithuania is invited to begin entry negotiations into the European Union, shutting down the reactors is expected to be an important element in the discussions.
The risk of spreading radioactivity
The reactors at Ignalina, built in the 1980s, have been analysed by international nuclear experts, who conclude that none of the safety concerns requires immediate shutdown of the plant. The risk of having a nuclear accident at Ignalina is as low as for many western reactors of similar age, says Aleksandr Alejev of the Lithuanian State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI), responsible for licensing nuclear-related activities in Lithuania. However, the lack of full containment surrounding the reactor and its primary system might, in case of an accident, give a higher risk of radioactivity getting outside the buildings than for a western-type reactor protected by such containment.
Technicians admit that there is a safety risk due to the fact that the Russian-built structure cannot be changed. Several projects are ongoing to reduce the risks. One such is to increase the ventilation in the reactor cavity to avoid overheating, which in the worst case could threaten its structural stability. Even closing the plant poses safety risks. Problems related to decommissioning, dismantling, fuel storage and gradually stepping down production one reactor at a time are being considered.
On the international agenda
The accident at Chernobyl was a reminder that nuclear power production is a matter of international concern. Safety and reliability can only be achieved if dealt with by bilateral and multilateral cooperation; they require considerable resources - financial, technical and social. It was early recognised that the safety level of reactors in the former Soviet Union and its satellite countries was not up to the standard of reactors operating in the West. International cooperation started in the 1990s, supported by EU, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), European Bank of Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) and Western countries. The goal was to improve the safety level at nuclear power plants in Eastern Europe.
Risk-based approach
As part of this cooperation the Swedish government has been assisting the Lithuanian authorities in building up a safety regime in Lithuania to improve the safety level at Ignalina. DNV`s newly acquired Swedish company SAQ has been commissioned by the Swedish International Project for Nuclear Safety (SiP) to support the Lithuanian authorities and technical staff at Ignalina in developing new techniques and standards.
DNV Nuclear Technology´s extensive knowledge in fracture mechanics has been a valuable contribution, says SiP project manager Ervin Liszka. Several training programmes have been held for technicians from the authority and the nuclear power plant, and the philosophy of risk is finding its way into Eastern Europe.
After Chernobyl every defect was repaired at Ignalina without thought of its consequences, says Aleksandr Alejev. Now we make use of new ultrasonic equipment for inspection, and fracture mechanics for safety assessment of components. In this way we calculate the risks before we make any decision on repair. This risk-based approach makes us concentrate on the most important aspects; it reduces the amount of work at the same time as raising the level of safety.
The politics of closure
Lithuanias politicians have decided in the country`s latest Energy Strategy to shut down one reactor at Ignalina in 2005. A decision about the second unit will be made in 2004. The closure scenario will create a more favourable political climate and better chances of borrowing for the state of Lithuania. It might, however, lead to some loss in the national economy, which will need international financial assistance. As a workplace the power plant will be restructured into two large enterprises carrying out decommissioning and radioactive-waste treatment over the next 50 - 80 years.
Decommissioning will produce an income for the region, with many new job opportunities. If Lithuania is invited to begin EU entry negotiations, it is believed that the Union will offer economic assistance towards decommissioning and regional development.