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Independent safety panel's recommendations on Ignalina NPP released by Nuclear Safety Account
An independent panel of safety experts has recommended that neither of the two units at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) in Lithuania should be restarted after the planned 1997 shutdown for maintenance until important safety issues in design and operation are resolved. The panel, commissioned by the Lithuanian Government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on behalf of the Nuclear Safety Account (NSA), made its recommendations based on an in-depth safety assessment of INPP completed in December 1996.
The in-depth safety assessment was provided for in an NSA grant agreement, signed in February 1994. It is a major contribution to the licensing process currently being undertaken by VATESI, the Lithuanian regulatory authority, which should determine whether the two units can be operated safely during the limited period of time before the fuel channels are replaced. Under the NSA grant agreement the Lithuanian Government has undertaken the commitment not to extend the lifetime of either unit beyond the time at which its fuel channels should be replaced.
The assessment consists of two elements; a safety analysis report and an independent review. The report was INPP's responsibility, supported by eastern and western engineering firms and the Russian reactor designer, RDIPE. The review was undertaken by eastern and western technical safety organisations, including Lithuania. The Panel's role was to monitor the report and the review and to make its recommendations once the assessment was finalised. A small number of issues were not covered by the assessment and remain to be resolved between INPP and VATESI. No significant differences were identified between Units 1 and 2. The NSA provided ECU 8.5 million to fund the external assistance work.
The safety assessment of INPP is the first joint east-west plant-specific western-style analysis of any Soviet-designed NPP, and represents a unique multilateral project. The clear separation between the production of the initial assessment work and its independent review, performed in parallel and providing interactive feedback has proven very effective in ensuring an objective in-depth assessment, which has brought new insights into the safety deficiencies of RBMK reactor plants.
The panel of experts included: Professor Armen Abagyan, Russia; Professor Adolf Birkhofer, Germany (Chairman); Dr Robert Budnitz, USA; Professor Michael Hayns, UK; Dr Jan Nistad, Sweden; Mr Philippe Vesseron, France; and Professor Jurgis Vilemas, Lithuania.
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