The Ignalina NPP is a product of the former Soviet Union. This fact is relevant in understanding some of its design and operational characteristics, it also explains why a number of safety studies which should have been conducted during plant design, have been carried out only recently. This up-dated source book provides a systematic over view of the design data, summarises results from the completed safety studies and provides a description of completed and planned modifications.
The Ignalina NPP contains two RBMK-1500 reactors. This is the most advanced version of the RBMK reactor design series (actually the only two of this type that were built). "RBMK" is a Russian acronym for "Channelized Large Power Reactor". Compared to the Chernobyl NPP, the Ignalina NPP is more powerful (1500 MW versus 1000 MW), and is provided with an improved ACS (Accident Confinement System). In most other respects, the plants are quite similar to their predecessors. They have two cooling loops, a direct cycle, fuel clusters are loaded into individual channels rather than a single pressure vessel, the neutron spectrum is thermalized by a massive graphite moderator block. The plant can be refueled on line and uses slightly enriched nuclear fuel.
The power plants were built not to meet Lithuania's needs, but as part of the Soviet Union's North - West Unified Power System. The first unit of Ignalina NPP went into service at the end of 1983, the second unit in August, 1987. Their design lifetime is projected out to 2010 - 2015. A total of four units were originally planned on this site. Construction of the third unit was terminated in 1989 because of political pressure.
Because of their online re-fuelling capability RBMK - type reactors were not exported, and were built exclusively in the territory of the former Soviet Union. There are presently plants at Saint Petersburg (Sosnovy Bor), Kursk, Chernobyl and Smolensk (Table 1.1). A total of 17 such reactors have been built and 15 are currently in operation.
Lithuania declared its independence in March of 1990, but the Ignalina NPP was guarded by Soviet troops and KGB operatives and remained factually in the jurisdiction of the Soviet Union until August, 1991. Supervision was carried out by that country's regulatory authority, the State Atomic Supervision. After the political events of August, 1991 (the formal collapse of the Soviet Union), Ignalina NPP finally came under the authority of the Lithuanian Republic. It is now controlled administratively by the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy. Regulatory control is exercised by the Lithuanian State Atomic Energy Safety Inspection (VATESI). Most of the former technical, operation and administrative personnel of the plant have retained their jobs.
Table 1.1 Specific status of the RBMK plants [1]
|
Generation * |
Status |
Number of CPS Channels |
Number of Fuel Channels |
|
|
Ignalina 1 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Ignalina 2 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Chernobyl 1 |
1 |
operational |
179 |
1693 |
|
Chernobyl 2 |
1 |
shut down |
179 |
1693 |
|
Chernobyl 3 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Chernobyl 4 |
2 |
shut down |
211 |
1661 |
|
Kursk 1 |
1 |
operational |
179 |
1693 |
|
Kursk 2 |
1 |
operational |
179 |
1693 |
|
Kursk 3 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Kursk 4 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Kursk 5 |
3 |
under construction |
223 |
- |
|
St. Petersburg 1 |
1 |
operational |
191 |
1693 |
|
St. Petersburg 2 |
1 |
operational |
179 (191) |
693 |
|
St. Petersburg 3 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
St. Petersburg 4 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Smolensk 1 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Smolensk 2 |
2 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
|
Smolensk 3 |
3 |
operational |
211 |
1661 |
* the term "Generation" pertains to the initial design or an updated version of the initial design