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March 29, 2022. State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) concluded that nuclear facilities in Lithuania operated safely during 2021. The evaluated inspection results showed the high safety level of nuclear and radiation safety, physical security in facilities and licensees made adequate provisions to ensure safety and security of public and environment while ensuring that Lithuania continued to meet its international obligations on the peaceful use of nuclear materials.

State Enterprise Ignalina NPP have eight unusual events that were rated below the scale (0 level) on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) which had no impact on safety, the dose limits of operating personnel were not exceeded and there were no identified releases of radioactive material into the environment.

In 2021, VATESI conducted 62 inspections (54 in 2020). Most inspections were convened at State Enterprise Ignalina NPP. Average duration of inspection – 1 workday.

During 49 inspections at Ignalina NPP, VATESI inspectors focused on safety requirements related with maintenance of permanently shut-downed unit systems and components important to safety, works under projects of dismantling and decontamination, managing and treatment of radioactive waste, transport of radioactive waste to the storage facilities, ensuring physical security and radiation protection of the nuclear facilities and nuclear materials, fire protection, cybersecurity, ensuring emergency preparedness, how employees of Ignalina NPP were trained and how their sufficient qualifications were ensured. Also, Ignalina NPP was inspected for the accounting systems and control of nuclear material.

In 2021, enforcement measures identified regarding 18 violations (15 in 2020). No violations were found that could directly affect the exposure doses of workers, could damage safety barriers, could deteriorate the properties of safety-critical equipment and could cause radionuclide releases into the environment. All identified violations were eliminated by agreed schedule and measures.

Very few unusual events in the nuclear facilities and no serious violations which could affect the provision of essential safety functions demonstrates reached high safety level in the permanently shut-downed Ignalina NPP and other nuclear facilities in Lithuania.

State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) is the state regulatory and supervisory authority in the nuclear safety field in Lithuania.