Lithuania has pinpointed 77 potential sites for a planned geological repository designed to house used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
The final decision on the facility’s location is not anticipated until 2047.
Long-Term Management Plan
Lithuania’s Development Programme for the Management of Nuclear Facilities and Radioactive Waste 2021-2030 outlines a strategy for long-lived radioactive waste.
It proposes storing the waste in interim facilities until they reach their operational lifespan, after which it will be transferred to a permanent geological disposal facility (GDF).
This specially engineered structure, situated several hundred meters underground, is projected to be constructed and commissioned in 2068.
Lithuania’s radioactive waste and used fuel originate from the Ignalina plant, which ceased operation in 2009, as well as from medical, industrial, and research applications.
Current Storage and Future Transition
Currently, used nuclear fuel and long-lived radioactive waste are housed in temporary above-ground repositories designed to last for at least 50 years.
Upon reaching the end of their operational life, the processed long-lived radioactive waste will be relocated to the deep geological repository.
Site Selection Research Underway
The initial phase of the project, focusing on researching potential deep disposal sites, is currently underway.
Evaluation Criteria and Exclusions
To select the most suitable site, all potential areas are assessed based on three general requirement criteria established by the International Atomic Energy Agency: long-term safety, technical suitability and operational safety, and socio-economic, political, and environmental circumstances.
An initial 110 possible locations were identified. However, after evaluating independent studies, 33 sites were deemed unsuitable due to a set of rejection criteria.
Of these, 31 locations failed to meet criteria related to groundwater presence, mineral deposits, and helium anomalies, which are crucial for GDF stability.
Two additional sites were rejected based on socio-economic and environmental criteria. As of now, 77 potential locations across 29 Lithuanian municipalities remain under consideration.
Public Consultation and Future Steps
In March 2024, a public consultation was held in Vilnius, where the project, potential deep repository locations, and installation stages were presented to representatives of the municipalities. Questions raised by participants were also addressed.
The Ignalina NPP, responsible for developing the facility, stated, “Only after comprehensive and detailed studies, assessing geological, geophysical, and seismic data from deep boreholes, and public consultation, will a final site for the deep repository be selected.”
Timeline and International Collaboration
The research program for the deep repository site selection is expected to conclude by 2047. The tentative plan is to build the repository between 2058 and 2067, operate it from 2068 to 2074, and close it between 2075 and 2079.
The concept for the Lithuanian GDF was developed by Posiva Solutions Oy, a subsidiary of the Finnish waste management company Posiva.
Posiva, jointly owned by Finnish nuclear power companies, has successfully developed Finland’s geological disposal facility at Olkiluoto, which is set to become the world’s first operational facility of its kind in the mid-2020s.
Deep Geological Repositories: A Global Solution
GDFs consist of a network of highly engineered underground vaults and tunnels designed to permanently store high-level radioactive waste, ensuring that harmful radiation levels never reach the surface environment.
Many countries, including Finland, Sweden, France, Canada, the UK, and the USA, are pursuing this solution for the safe and long-term disposal of radioactive waste.
Decommissioning of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
The Ignalina nuclear power plant, with its two large RBMK reactors, supplied 70% of Lithuania’s electricity until their closure in 2004 and 2009 as a condition of joining the European Union.
The Ignalina NPP is currently decommissioning the plant, having removed fuel from the reactors and placed it into dry casks for interim storage on site. The decommissioning process is expected to be completed by 2038.