Nuclear Power: October 2008 Archives

In yesterday’s Lithuanian election almost 89% of voters were in favor of ignoring the country’s European Union agreement and keep the Ingalina-2 nuclear reactor operational until 2012.

The proposal was non-binding, however the 47% turnout was also below the 50% mandated for a referendum to be considered valid.

Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-run nuclear energy company, will begin construction of two new nuclear reactors at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant in southwestern Ukraine. Construction is expected to begin in 2010.

The new units, Khmelnitsky-3 and Khmelnitsky-4, are expected to be V-320 model, 1000 MWe VVER pressurized water reactors. The first of these units is expected to begin operations by the end of 2016.

Khmelnitsky-1 came online in 1987 and Khmelnitsky-2 on August 8, 2004. Currently, the Khmelnitsky facility produces around 6-7 billion KWh per year, or approximately 9% of Ukraine’s electricity.

Ukraine currently has 15 operational nuclear reactors at four facilities providing approximately 46.4% of the country’s electricity. Current total capacity is 13835 MWe.

Photo courtesy of Energoatom

Reactor 2 at Lithuania’s Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, an RBMK-1500, 1300 megawatt reactor, is currently scheduled for closure in 2009. Amid mounting pressure from its citizens, the Lithuanian government is considering breaking its agreement with the European Union to shut down the reactor.

The reactor currently supplies 70% of Lithuania’s electricity, as well as power to Latvia and Estonia. Many Lithuanian leaders and citizens want to renege on the agreement, fearing the closure will cause a problematic reliance on Russia for the country’s electricity needs.

On October 12, Lithuanians will vote in a non-binding referendum to delay the reactor’s closure. President Valdas Adamkus, an independent, opposes the referendum. However a July poll conducted by Veidas magazine showed 78.3% of respondents favored a delay, while only 9.6% were against it.

The Lithuanian government favors a delay until at least 2012, saying the closure would hurt the country’s economy. Ignalina-1, another RBMK-style reactor, was shut down on December 31, 2004 as part of Lithuania’s accession treaty.

The European Union opposes a delay, fearing the continued operation of any RBMK-style reactors, the same type involved in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Since the agreement is part of Lithuania’s 2004 accession treaty to join the European Union, any change must be discussed in an intergovernmental conference, approved by the 27 member states and ratified by their parliaments - a process that is “virtually impossible.”

A new “Baltic States” nuclear power plant, built with Western technology, will be built at the Ignalina site, but the two 1600 megawatt reactors will not be operational until 2015.

Photo courtesy of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant