As expected, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia have continued to make effective progress in decommissioning their nuclear power plants in 2019, according to a European Commission report published on Tuesday 17 March.
"The decommissioning has advanced well beyond an irreversible stage of deconstruction and dismantling activities are progressing towards the scheduled completion dates", the document notes.
Moreover, the cost of the work carried out since 2014 is within the budget, the Commission is pleased to note.
Upon accession to the EU, the three countries committed themselves to closing eight nuclear reactors before the end of their planned lifetime, in return for financial assistance from the European Union.
These are the nuclear power plants of Kozloduy in Bulgaria (units 1 to 4), Bohunice V1 in Slovakia (2 units) and Ignalina in Lithuania (2 units).
In terms of timing, the completion of the Bohunice and Kozloduy decommissioning programmes is planned by 2025 and the end of 2030, respectively. At Ignalina, on the other hand, the process is at an earlier stage, as the reactor design includes a large graphite core, which presents a challenge for dismantling. Decommissioning is therefore expected to continue until 2038.
Although safety levels at the sites will be significantly improved with EU funding under the EU budget (Multiannual Financial Framework - MFF) 2014-2020, the completion of decommissioning programmes to their planned final state will require additional funding, the report finally points out.
Therefore, in 2018, the Commission adopted two proposals - 2018/0251(NLE) and 2018/0252 (NLE) - for the continuation of the programmes under the MFF 2021-2027 currently being negotiated by the Member States (see EUROPE 12431/1).
According to the Commission "the proposed funding will enable Bulgaria and Slovakia to complete the decommissioning of the reactors concerned, and help Lithuania to proceed safely and steadily with the decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power plant".
To consult the report: http://bit.ly/2UdDshh (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)