OREANDA-NEWS. On the 14th October 2016 the Ignalina NPP Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility (ISFSF) in Lithuania was officially inaugurated by placing the first spent fuel cask for storage.

The Interim Storage with its equipment was specially developed, ready-for-use designed and built for Ignalina NPP by a consortium consisting of NUKEM Technologies GmbH and GNS Company for Nuclear-Service mbH. The Project is financed with funds of international decommissioning foundation which is governed by EBRD.

The approx. 2370 m2big interim storage is located in direct proximity to the Power plant. The fuel extracted from both RBMK-reactors of the Power plant will be safely stored  for about 50 years in 200 casks CONSTOR® RBMK 1500/M2 specially designed for Ignalina.

In the official opening ceremony on Ignalina site the Deputy Energy Secretary of Lithuania Rokas Baliukovas emphasized the value of this milestone for decommissioning of the Ignalina NPP which once was the most high-powered nuclear power plant in the world. The complete removal of spent fuel out of both RBMK-reactors’ units as well as its safe packaging and storing is here an important prerequisite for further decommissioning of the power plant. The director of the power plant Dainius Janulevi?ius explained the process of transfer and storing of the casks and thanked the Lithuanian Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI), the European bank for reconstruction and development, the consortium NUKEM-GNS as well as all participants of the project for the successful long-term cooperation.