Europe to Fund Decommissioning of Dangerous Nuclear Plants

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia are to benefit from €860 million ($1.16 billion) in funding from the European Union (E.U.) to help them decommission their old nuclear power plants.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted overwhelmingly to the funding for decommissioning of the Kozloduy, Ignalina and Bohunice nuclear power plants (NPPS) as part of the next E.U. budget period (2014-2020). The power plants were judged to be "too dated and could not be cost-effectively upgraded to meet the minimum required safety standards".

To qualify for the €860 million total aid being made available [€260 million for Kozloduy, €400 million for Ignalina, and €200 million for Bohunice], the three countries will need to meet certain conditions, including fully transposing the Nuclear Safety Directive into their national laws and submitting detailed decommissioning plans to the European Commission (E.C.).

Decommissioning is taking place at Kozloduy Units 1 to 4, Ignalina Units 1 and 2 and Bohunice V1 Units 1 and 2. It will include the final disposal of spent fuel elements, decontamination, dismantling and/or demolition of the nuclear installations, disposal of remaining radioactive waste materials, and environmental restoration of contaminated sites.

"It should be ensured by the Commission that the conditions for an effective, efficient and economical use of E.U. funds is in place," stressed Parliament's rapporteur, Giles Chichester. "Objectives must be aligned with the budget made available and to the establishment of meaningful performance indicators, which can subsequently be monitored and reported on as necessary for the programme implementation as a whole."

MEPs suggested that the decommissioning plans should include information on the anticipated projects, specific milestones and co-financing proportions including details on how the each country will secure their own funding for the projects.

"It should be ensured by the Commission that the conditions for an effective, efficient and economical use of EU funds is in place. Objectives must be aligned with the budget made available and to the establishment of meaningful performance indicators, which can subsequently be monitored and reported on as necessary for the programme implementation as a whole", stresses Parliament's rapporteur Giles Chichester.

A review of the performance of the three decommissioning programmes will take place by the end of 2017.

View Plant Details - 1038159 1083665 1082712

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.