Licensing documentation and licensing process for dismantling and decontamination projects in Lithuania

Abstract

One of the main tasks of any decommissioning project is the licensing process, which allows implementation of developed strategies in the real nuclear power plant. The Lithuanian laws on nuclear energy and radioactive waste management require that dismantling and decontamination projects shall be licensed by the Lithuanian State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate and other Authorities. Licensing is an inseparable part of the Lithuanian regulatory and supervisory system for safety of nuclear facilities. The licensing process starts when the nuclear power plant submits the first licensing document(s) to the Authorities. Usually the licensing documents cover Basic Design, Safety Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Civil Design reports. Safety Assessment Report is a major document, which justifies that the proposed activities will be implemented in compliance with design and regulatory requirements. Licensing process is completed when all the licensing documents are approved by the Authorities and authorization to start dismantling and decontamination activities is received by the nuclear power plant.Current paper discusses the main steps of the licensing process adopted for the first dismantling and decontamination projects at Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and provides examples of safety assessment in the case of bounding initiating events that can be caused by dismantling and decommissioning activities.