REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the work under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania in 2019 and previous years
Date: 2020-03-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, EU programme, Lithuania, Slovakia, decommissioning of power stations, nuclear policy, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, principle of additionality, radioactive waste

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.3.2020  COM(2020) 82 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the work under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania in 2019 and previous years                
 
 
Key messages 

When they joined the EU, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania undertook to shut down 
three  nuclear  plants  of  an  older  soviet  design  before  the  end  of  their  scheduled 
lifetime. The EU committed itself to providing financial assistance to complete safely 
the  decommissioning  of  the  reactors.  Two  Council  Regulations  govern  the  EU 
support  for  the  2014-2020  period.  They  set  out  the  objectives  against  which  this 
annual report reviews progress achieved in 2019.  

In  line  with  expectations,  Bulgaria,  Lithuania  and  Slovakia  continued  to  make 
effective progress in decommissioning their nuclear power plants in 2019. Indications 
to date are that greatly improved safety levels will be achieved at the sites as a result 
of EU funding under the 2014-2020 MFF.  

The  decommissioning  has  advanced  well  beyond  an 
irreversible  stage  of 
deconstruction  and  dismantling  activities  are  progressing  towards  the  scheduled 
completion  dates.  While  some  delays  are  unavoidable  in  individual  projects,  they 
were  compensated  by  reorganising  the  plan  of  future  activities  so  that  overall 
programmes end dates are unchanged. The cost of the work carried out since 2014 is 
within budget. 

In Bohunice (Slovakia) the decommissioning is scheduled to be completed by 2025. 
The dismantling of the large components in the reactor building has started in earnest. 
The decommissioning operator has cut up the two pressurisers in place, removed all 
12 steam-generators - each made up of 145 tons of steel - and transported them to the 
former turbine hall for treatment and packaging. Preparations started for segmenting 
reactor internals under water in dedicated workshops inside the reactors building. 

The  decommissioning  programme  in  Kozloduy  (Bulgaria)  has  a  completion  date  of 
end  2030.  The  similar  design  of  the  Kozloduy  and  Bohunice  reactors  provides  an 
tools.  This 
excellent  opportunity 
knowledge-sharing  reduces  risks  and  cost.  For  example,  in  2019,  the  feasibility  of 
decontaminating  the  primary  circuits  at  Kozloduy  was  confirmed  based  on  the 
experience  from  Bohunice.  The  transportation  of  decontamination  equipment  from 
the Bohunice site to Kozloduy was then prepared with a view to decontaminating in 
2020 the primary circuits, i.e. the elements closest to the nuclear core. 

experiences,  methods 

share 

and 

to 

In  Ignalina  (Lithuania)  the  reactor  design  includes  a  large  graphite  core.  Its 
decommissioning  is  a  first-of-a-kind  challenge  and  is  scheduled  to  last  until  2038. 
The decommissioning process is therefore at an earlier stage: currently the spent-fuel 
assemblies are being safely stored in a new dedicated facility. The transfer operation 
is  expected  to  last  until  July  2022.  Meanwhile,  preparations  are  under  way  to 
dismantle  the  reactor  cores.  A  thorough  process  of  identification  and  assessment  of 
available options (scheduled for 2022) aims to mitigate the risks involved. 

The  completion  of  the  decommissioning  programmes  up  to  their  planned  end-state 
will  require  additional  funding.  In  2018,  the  Commission  adopted  proposals  for  the 
programmes  continuation  in  2021-2027.  They  lay  down  inter  alia  national 
contribution  levels,  thus  removing  remaining  uncertainties  regarding  the  required 
funding. 

 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

When they joined the EU, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania undertook to shut down 
eight nuclear reactors before the end of their scheduled lifetime: 

  Bulgaria – Kozloduy nuclear power plant (units 1 to 4); 

  Slovakia – Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant (2 units); and 

  Lithuania – Ignalina nuclear power plant (2 units). 

The  EU  committed 
decommissioning of the reactors. 

itself 

to  providing  financial  assistance  for 

the  safe 

Two  Council  Regulations1  govern  EU  support  for 
the  decommissioning 
programmes  in  the  2014-2020  multiannual  financial  framework  (MFF).  In 
application of the reporting requirements of Article 6 of the Regulations, this annual 
progress 
the  EU’s  nuclear 
decommissioning assistance programmes (NDAP) in  2019 and forms the  basis for 
adopting the 2020 work programmes.  

results  achieved  under 

reviews 

report 

the 

The  general  objective  is  to  move  to  the  decommissioning  end-state  while 
maintaining the highest safety standards. The programmes do not include mitigation 
measures  in  the  energy  sector  that  were  supported  under  previous  MFFs. 
Implementation of such  measures, launched before 2014, is  coming to  an end  and 
was subject to an evaluation in 2019. 

In June 2018, the Commission issued a mid-term evaluation report2 of the NDAP. It 
concluded  that  Bulgaria,  Lithuania  and  Slovakia  had  made  effective  and  efficient 
progress in decommissioning the concerned nuclear power plants. 

The  programmes  are  clearly  defined  in  terms  of  scope,  budget  and  planning,  with 
end-dates  scheduled  beyond  the  current  financing  period.  They  do  not  cover  the 
disposal  of  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste  in  a  deep  geological  repository  – 
Council  Directive 2011/70/Euratom3  requires  the  Member  State  to  make  provision 
for that themselves, in their national programmes for the management of spent fuel 
and radioactive waste. 

In line with the conclusions of the mid-term evaluation, the scope and budget of the 
decommissioning programmes were updated and more thorough progress indicators 
were established in revised detailed implementation procedures. 

For  the  next  MFF  (2021-2027),  the  Commission  has  adopted  two  proposals4  for 
continued  support  for  decommissioning  activities  in  Bulgaria,  Slovakia  and 

1  Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1368/2013 of 13 December 2013 on Union support for the nuclear 
decommissioning  assistance  programmes  in  Bulgaria  and  Slovakia,  and  repealing  Regulations 
(Euratom) No 549/2007 and (Euratom) No 647/2010 (OJ L 346, 20.12.2013, p. 1; correction in OJ L 8, 
11.1.2014, p. 31); 
Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1369/2013 of 13 December 2013 on Union support for the nuclear 
decommissioning  assistance  programme  in  Lithuania,  and  repealing  Regulation  (EC)  No  1990/2006 
(OJ L 346, 20.12.2013, p. 7; corrections in OJ L 8, 11.1.2014, p. 30 and OJ L 121, 24.4.2014, p. 59). 

2  COM(2018) 468. 
3  Council  Directive  2011/70/Euratom  of  19  July  2011  establishing  a  Community  framework  for  the 

responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste (OJ L199, 2.8.2011, p. 48). 

4  COM(2018) 466 and COM(2018) 467. 

2 

 
                                                 
 
Lithuania. In particular, the proposed funding will enable Bulgaria and Slovakia to 
complete  the  decommissioning  of  the  concerned  reactors,  and  help  Lithuania  to 
proceed safely and steadily with the decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power 
plant, a first-of-a-kind process on an unprecedented scale that involves retrieving a 
large amount of radioactive graphite. 

2. 

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION 

2.1.  Method of implementation 

The Commission has entrusted implementation of the programme budgets to: 

 

 

 

the European  Bank  for  Reconstruction and Development  (EBRD)  –  for  all 
the programmes (since 2001); 

the  Central  Project  Management  Agency  (CPMA)  –  for  the  Ignalina 
programme (since 2003); and 

the  Slovakian  Innovation  and  Energy  Agency  (SIEA)  –  for  the  Bohunice 
programme (since 2016). 

The  supervision  of  these  implementing  bodies  relies  on  prior  checks  (‘pillar 
assessment’)  that  they  fulfil  the  requirements  for  indirect  management.  It  is 
complemented  by  risk-informed  verifications,  either  as  part  of  the  regular 
monitoring process or assigned to an independent body.  

2.2. 

Annual programming and monitoring 

Each of the Member States in question has appointed a programme coordinator who 
is  responsible  for  national  programming,  coordination  and  monitoring  of  the 
decommissioning  programme  at  national  level.  The  programme  coordinators 
submitted  work  programmes  for  2019,  with  activities  financed  from  the  Union 
budget  and  from  national  or  other  sources.  The  Commission  (DG ENER)  has 
published on its  website the financing decision and the work programmes  adopted 
by the Commission. 

In  each  Member  State,  a  monitoring  committee  is  co-chaired  by  a  Commission 
representative and the programme coordinator. The role of the committee has been 
strengthened in revised detailed implementation procedures adopted in 2019. 

The implementing bodies monitor project implementation on a day-to-day basis. In 
addition, the Commission services follow it closely through desk and biannual on-
the-spot reviews. 

To  support  the  monitoring  process,  the  Commission  uses  performance  indicators, 
including  those  defined  in  the  earned  value  management  (EVM)  system5.  By 
tracking  progress  against  the  performance  measurement  baseline,  EVM  is  used  to 
monitor  schedule  progress  and  associated  costs.  The  indicators  can  trigger  timely 
action to mitigate the impact of deviations from the baseline. 

5   ISO 21508:2018 Earned value management in project and programme management. 

3 

 
                                                 
2.3. 

Controls, audits and evaluations 

Internal Audit Service 

The Commission’s Internal Audit Service completed its audit on the implementation 
of  the  Commission’s  (DG ENER)  control  strategy  for  the  delegated  bodies 
implementing  the  NDAP  in  November  2019.  It  concluded  that  the  strategy  is 
implemented  effectively,  thus  providing  overall  reasonable  assurance  on  the 
effective implementation of decommissioning work financed by the programmes.  

Assessment of SIEA (Bohunice programme) 

In  2019,  a  pillar  assessment  of  SIEA,  as  implementing  body  for  the  Bohunice 
programme,  was  completed  successfully  with  the  support  of  an  independent  audit 
body.  The  assessment  covered  SIEA’s  internal  control  system,  accounting  system, 
independent external audit, grants and procurement rules and procedures.  

Ex post evaluation of energy sector projects 

In 2019, the Commission finalised an ex post evaluation to measure the results and 
impacts, effectiveness, efficiency and EU added value of the energy-related projects 
funded by the assistance programmes in 2007-2013. The assessment was generally 
positive. Its conclusions are set out in more detail in section 4.4.  

Anti-fraud action 

the  award  of  a  contract  for 

In  2005-2009, 
installation  of  flue-gas 
desulphurisation equipment  in  Elektrenai  (LT) was tainted by fraudulent practices. 
In November 2019, after a long investigation in cooperation with the UK’s Serious 
Fraud  Office  and  the  European  Anti-Fraud  Office,  the  EBRD  debarred  GE  Power 
Sweden AB for 6 years (the longest debarment it has ever imposed). The decision is 
final  and  means  that  GE  Power  Sweden  is  ineligible  for  funding  by  most 
international financial institutions until November 2025. 

the 

3. 

BUDGETARY IMPLEMENTATION AND CO-FINANCING 

Co-financing supports ownership by the Member States and creates an incentive for 
cost-effectiveness.  All  three  Member  States  have  established  dedicated  funds 
providing  part  of  the  financing.  Other  national  resources  come  mostly  from  the 
national budgets.  

In  Lithuania,  funds  accumulated  previously  for  decommissioning  and  waste 
management  are  depleted  and  the  organisation  managing  them  was  wound  up  in 
2019. For the future, the Lithuanian government undertook to provide funding until 
the end of the programme. This commitment is taken into account in Table 1. 

The EU contributions to the funds managed by the EBRD are augmented by 2-4% 
with  contributions  from  other  international  donors  and  financial  interest  on 
pre-financing. In the tables below, they include these additional amounts. 

4 

 
Table 1:  Funds (disbursements plus allocations plus proposals) 

(€ million) 

Member 
State 

EU 
2001-2020 

EC 
proposals 
2021-2027 

Total 

Budget at 
completion 

Kozloduy 

Bohunice 

Ignalina 

458 

476 

478 

800 

671 

1568 

63 

55 

552 

1 321 

1 202 

2 596 

1 358 

1 238 

3 377 

Source: Monitoring reports, annual work programmes, EBRD, CPMA, SIEA. 

Currently, the legal basis for EU financial support does not stipulate a specific level 
of  national  contributions.  The  Commission  proposals  for  Council  Regulations  for 
continued  support  for  decommissioning  in  the  2021-2027  MFF  lay  down  the 
Union’s  multiannual  contribution  and  introduce  minimum  national  contributions: 
50%  for  Bulgaria  and  Slovakia,  20%  for  Lithuania.  The  Council  Regulations  are 
still  to  be  agreed  by  the  Council  subject  to  European  Council  agreement  on  the 
2021-2027 MFF. 

Table 2:  Payments to end beneficiaries, 30 June 2019 

(€ million) 

Kozloduy 

Bohunice 

Ignalina 

National 
resources 

296 (40%) 

208 (39%) 

175 (15%) 

EU 

Total 

440 (60%) 

322 (61%) 

1006 (85%) 

736 

530 

1 181 

Source: Monitoring reports, EBRD, CPMA. 

4. 

PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE 

The Commission measures progress and performance against the objectives set out 
in  the  Council  Regulations  establishing  the  programmes.  Detailed  targets  and 
schedules in  the implementation  procedures  and  the EVM system complement the 
monitoring. 

To date, progress against the objectives is generally satisfactory and the cost of the 
work  has  been  as  planned.  The  programmes’  critical  path  is  monitored  with  the 
utmost  attention  and,  when  risks  are  identified,  mitigating  actions  are  proposed  so 
that at this point in time the end-dates are still valid. After the mid-term evaluation, 
the time profile of the activities was revised to re-calibrate the tracking of progress 
and performance. 

5 

 
 
 
 
4.1. 

Bulgaria – Kozloduy programme 

Units  1-4  at  the  Kozloduy  plant  are  VVER6  440/230  reactors:  units 1  and 2  were 
shut down in 2002 and units 3 and 4 in 2006. 

Under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Energy, the State Enterprise 
for Radioactive Waste (SERAW) is the operator in charge of the decommissioning 
of  Kozloduy  units 1-4  and  the  construction  and  operation  of  the  national  disposal 
facility  for  radioactive  waste.  Its  mission  is  the  safe  management  of  radioactive 
waste on Bulgarian territory.  

The Kozloduy programme made significant progress on dismantling in the auxiliary 
buildings,  e.g. completing  the  dismantling  of  equipment  in  the  turbine  hall  in 
August 2019, a year earlier than scheduled (Figure 1). 

Figure 1:  Before and after dismantling of equipment in the turbine hall 

photo SERAW 

The  plasma  melting  facility,  a  first-of-its-kind  facility  for  the  high-performance 
volume reduction of radioactive waste, started operations in November 2018 (target: 
March 2018) and continued with the support of the system provider until the end of 
2019. It is now in industrial operation and the technical and financial evaluation of 
the first operational campaign will be finalised in 2020.  

The  similar  design  of  the  Bohunice  and  Kozloduy  reactors  provides  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  share  experiences,  methods  and  tools.  This  knowledge-sharing 
reduces risks and cost. For example, in 2019 the feasibility of decontaminating the 
primary  circuits  at  Kozloduy  was  confirmed  on  the  basis  of  experience  from 
Bohunice.  The  transportation  of  decontamination  equipment  used  at  Bohunice  to 
Kozloduy was then prepared with a view to decontaminating the primary circuits in 
2020 (target end date: October 2022).  

Permits for the construction of the near-surface repository for low-level  waste, the 
national disposal facility, have been repeatedly challenged in recent years. In 2019, 
the  five  members  of  the  Supreme  Administrative  Court  took  a  final  decision 
confirming the Environmental Impact Assessment decision validity. 

The  construction  works  do  not  imply  any  radiation  or  nuclear  safety  risk,  and 
proceeded as planned (Figure 2). However on 16th December 2019 a fatal accident 
occurred on the building site. Building  activities are suspended until  the  causes of 
the  accident  are  fully  analysed  and  all  measures  are  implemented  to  restart  the 
works under the best Health and Safety conditions. 

6  Вводо-водяной  энергетический  реактор  /  vodo-vodyanoi  energetichesky  reaktor  (VVER  – 

water-water power reactor) is a series of pressurised water reactors. 

6 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 2:  Construction of national disposal facility 

photo SERAW 

In  accordance  with  the  updated  performance  baseline,  the  programme  completion 
date  remains  the  end  of  2030.  Figure  3  shows  the  amount  of  work  carried  out 
(earned  value)  against  the  plan  (baseline).  In  2018,  the  budget  at  completion 
(including contingencies) was revised to €1 358 million. This represents an increase 
of  23%  on  the  2014  estimate  and  Bulgaria  has  increased  its  contribution 
accordingly. 

Figure 3:  Kozloduy – progress and performance  

4.2. 

Slovakia – Bohunice programme 

The  Bohunice  V1  plant  consists  of  two  VVER  440/230  reactors.  Unit  1  was  shut 
down in 2006 and unit 2 in 2008. 

Under  the  administrative  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Economy,  Jadrová  a 
vyraďovacia  spoločnosť  (JAVYS)  is  the  operator  in  charge  of  decommissioning 
Bohunice V1. Its mission is the safe decommissioning of the nuclear facilities, spent 
nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management on Slovakian territory. 

The  Bohunice  decommissioning  programme  is  the  most  advanced  of  the  three 
programmes  assisted  by  the  EU  and  will  probably  see  the  first  complete 
decommissioning of a VVER-type reactor. 

7 

 
 
 
 
The  programme  made  substantial  progress  in  2019.  After  completion  of  the 
dismantling of the turbine hall equipment and the auxiliary buildings, including the 
demolition  of  the  four  cooling  towers  (Figure  4),  the  dismantling  of  the  large 
components in the reactor building started in earnest.  

Figure 4:  Before and after dismantling equipment in turbine hall   
Before and after demolition of cooling towers 
photo JAVYS 

By  July  2019,  all  12  steam  generators,  each  made  up  of  145 tonnes  of  steel,  had 
been removed  from  the  reactor building  and transported to  the  former turbine hall 
(Figure  5),  where  construction  of  the  dry-cutting  workshop  was  finalised  and  the 
cutting equipment for breaking up the generators was installed. In the second half of 
2019  (target:  second  half  2019),  the  pressurisers  were  cut  up  and  the  construction 
started  of  two  wet-cutting  workshops  in  which  the  reactor  internals  will  be 
segmented under water. 

8 

 
 
 
 
Figure 5:  Workshop  and  storage  of  steam  generators  in  former  turbine  hall 

photo JAVYS 

In  2018,  97.5%  of  the  waste  handled  at  Bohunice  was  recyclable,  1.7%  was  non-
recyclable and 0.8% was radioactive. In 2019, disposal capacity for low-level waste, 
representing  over  90%  of  total  radioactive  waste  by  volume,  was  extended  by 
around 30% at the Mochovce repository.  

In  accordance  with  the  updated  performance  baseline,  the  completion  date  for  the 
programme  remains  the  end  of  2025.  Figure  6  shows  the  amount  of  work  carried 
out (earned value) against the plan (baseline). The budget at completion (including 
contingencies) was updated in 2018 to €1 238 million, about 1% less than the 2014 
estimate.  The  new  estimate  is  supported  by  a  state-of-the-art  plan  for  risks  and 
contingencies, which provides a high level of confidence.  

Figure 6:  Bohunice – progress and performance  

9 

 
 
 
4.3. 

Lithuania – Ignalina programme 

The Ignalina plant consists of two RBMK7 1500 reactors. Unit 1 was shut down in 
2004 and unit 2 in 2009. 

Under  the  administrative  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Energy,  the  Ignalina 
Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) state enterprise is the operator in charge of the facilities 
under decommissioning and, since 2019, the waste disposal facilities. 

The  removal  of  spent-fuel  assemblies  from  the  reactor  buildings  (units 1  and 2) 
resumed  in  September  2016.  Both  reactors  are  now  completely  defueled.  The 
remaining contents of the spent-fuel pools are being transferred to storage casks and 
finally  to  the  interim  spent-fuel  storage  facility.  By  the  end  of  2019,  over  75% 
(target:  69%)  of  spent-fuel  assemblies  were  safely  stored  in  this  new  dedicated 
facility. This operation is scheduled to continue until July 2022. 

Meanwhile, INPP has started preparations for the handling of heavily damaged fuel 
elements  and  the  cleaning-up,  emptying  and  decontamination  of  the  spent-fuel 
pools. 

Figure 7:  Casks  for  spent-fuel  assemblies  stored  in  the  interim  storage  facility 

photo INPP 

Before (09/2016) 

After (09/2019) 

With 50 000 tons (target: 40 658 tons) of material dismantled from the turbine hall, 
the  removal  and  decontamination  of  equipment  is  now  coming  to  an  end.  The 
building  is  being  used  as  temporary  storage  for  material  undergoing  clearance 
before regulatory control can be lifted and for low-level radioactive waste before it 
can be transferred to a final disposal facility. 

The dismantling of the Ignalina reactors is a first-of-a-kind challenge: never before 
has  a  large  power  reactor  with  a  graphite  core  been  dismantled.  In  a  first  phase 
(2020 to  2027),  INPP will  remove all equipment around  and on top  of the reactor 
shaft. The subsequent removal of the graphite from the shaft is being prepared with 
an optioneering8 study and detailed design of the preferred solution and a facility for 
the temporary storage of irradiated graphite waste. 

Construction of the landfill facility for very low-level waste has been completed and 
the first loading campaign is scheduled for the second half of 2020. The launch of 

7   Реактор  Большой  Мощности  Канальный  /  reaktor  bolshoy  moshchnosti  kanalnyy  (RBMK  — 
high-power channel-type reactor) is a class of graphite-moderated nuclear power reactor (also installed 
in Chernobyl). 

8   Optioneering is an iterative process between options identification, assessment and definition. 

10 

 
                                                 
the  procurement  procedure  for  the  construction  of  the  near-surface  repository  for 
low-level waste was scheduled for January 2020 but is delayed by designer approval 
of technical revisions to comply with public procurement requirements. With those 
two facilities, INPP will have all the tools it needs for the management, storage and 
disposal of the radioactive waste under the decommissioning plan. 

Figure 8:  New radioactive waste management, storage and disposal facilities 

In  accordance  with  the  updated  performance  baseline,  the  programme  completion 
date remains 2038. Figure 9 shows the amount of work carried out (earned value) 
against  the  plan  (baseline).  The  budget  at  completion  (including  contingencies)  is 
unchanged, at €3 377 million.  

Figure 9:  Ignalina – progress and performance  

4.4. 

Energy sector projects 

Until 2013, the assistance programmes allocated funds to energy-sector projects in 
line  with  the  respective  Member  States’  accession  treaties  and  national  energy 
policies.  The  impact  assessment  prepared  in  advance  of  the  current  (2014-2020) 

11 

 
 
 
programmes concluded that those measures would achieve their objectives with the 
existing funding and should then be discontinued. Therefore, the current programme 
is limited to implementation of the decommissioning plans, so that it is the focus of 
the resources and governance structures. 

In  2019,  the  Commission  finalised  an  ex post  evaluation  of  the  energy-sector 
projects financed in 2007-2013. Over €947 million had been committed in support 
of 58 projects seeking to achieve: 

 

environmental upgrading (including energy efficiency); 

  modernisation of conventional energy production;  

 

 

 

restructuring and modernisation of electricity transmission and distribution; 

enhanced security of supply; and 

enhanced use of renewable energy sources (Bulgaria only). 

The  EU  co-financing  rate  averaged  50.4%,  with  variations  depending  on  the 
relationship  between the project  and the early closure of the nuclear power plants, 
the  type  of  project  and  the  public  or  private  status  of  the  grant  holder.  Bulgaria 
accounted for the highest proportion of the committed budget (€401 million) and the 
highest  number  of  projects  (38).  Lithuania  and  Slovakia  had  fewer  projects,  but 
higher  average  allocation  per  project  (Lithuania:  €364 million  for  15  projects; 
Slovakia: €182 million for 5 projects). 

Energy  projects  in  Bulgaria  targeted  the  whole  value  chain,  with  a  stronger 
emphasis  on  downstream  components  (networks  and  consumption).  In  Lithuania, 
the focus was mainly upstream (on production), in particular with the upgrading and 
modernisation of the country’s largest conventional power plant to replace capacity 
and  partly  to  comply  with  the  European  environmental  requirements  related  to 
power  plant  emissions.  In  Slovakia,  the  biggest  share  of  resources  was  devoted  to 
networks, in particular for transmission, in order to improve security of supply. 

Figure 10: Number  of  energy  projects  supported  according  to  position  in  value 

chain, by country 

12 

 
 
Overall,  40  energy-sector  projects  had  been  completed  by  the  end  of  2019, 
accounting  for  75%  of  the  allocated  funds.  The  last  18  projects  are  due  to  be 
finalised in 2020. 

The  study  concluded  that  action  under  the  programme  was  both  instrumental  and 
timely  in  the  three  countries,  as  no  other  programmes  could  match  the  scope  and 
number  of  projects  covered.  The  programme  gave  effective  support  to  mitigation 
measures along the energy value chain, according to national needs. It contributed to 
the  building  and  modernisation  of  energy  networks,  facilitating  connections  and 
the 
diversifying 
refurbishment  of  hundreds  of  public  and  private  buildings  and  thousands  of 
households,  the  modernisation  of  district  heating  networks,  greater  energy 
efficiency in industry and better street lighting in 35 cities. 

the  consumption  side, 

the  energy  mix.  On 

it  supported 

In the long term, the programme will have helped to: 

 

improve security of supply following the loss of nuclear capacities; 

  ensure reliable electricity distribution; 

  foster integration into the European energy market; 

  enhance energy diversification; and  

 

improve energy intensity.  

It  had  other,  indirect  effects,  such  as  enhancing  the  reliability  of  power  supply, 
mitigating  energy  price  increases,  reducing  energy  intensity  and  making  local 
businesses  more  competitive.  It  also  helped  to  develop  capacities  in  the  three 
countries, attracting investment, including from private sources. 

5. 

KNOWLEDGE-SHARING 

More and more knowledge-sharing is taking place. In March 2019, a fourth trilateral 
knowledge-sharing  seminar  was  held  in  Bohunice.  It  was  attended  by  the 
decommissioning operators (JAVYS, SERAW and INPP) and representatives of the 
Joint Research Centre and the International Atomic Energy Agency.  

As  the  NDAP  progress,  knowledge-sharing  and  synergies  are  becoming  more 
concrete, resulting in  time and cost  savings in  decommissioning projects.  In 2019, 
the  major  areas  in  which  knowledge  is  being  shared  are  the  decontamination  of 
primary  circuits  and  the  incineration  of  radioactive  waste,  via  more  conventional 
equipment or the state-of-the-art plasma melting facility (see section 4.1). 

In its proposals for new Regulations, the Commission has introduced a requirement 
that experience and lessons learnt from the programmes be shared across the EU. 

6. 

CONCLUSIONS 

In  line  with  expectations,  Bulgaria,  Lithuania  and  Slovakia  continued  to  make 
effective  progress  in  decommissioning  their  nuclear  power  plants  in  2019. 
Indications  to  date  are  that  greatly  improved  safety  levels  will  be  achieved  at  the 
sites as a result of EU funding under the 2014-2020 MFF.  

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The  governance  system  has  been  updated  and  has  proven  able  over  time  to  cope 
with  challenges  and  setbacks  arising  from  the  complexity  of  the  programmes. 
Knowledge-sharing  among  the  beneficiaries  has  had  a  positive  impact  on  the 
programmes  and  contributed  to  the  latest  successes.  The  Commission  has  built  on 
that to develop concrete synergies, e.g. in 2020, the decontamination of the primary 
circuits at Kozloduy will be supported by know-how developed by JAVYS and use 
equipment acquired under the Bohunice programme. 

No  additional  funding  is  needed  to  achieve  the  objectives  set  out  in  the  current 
Council  Regulations.  Completion  of  the  decommissioning  programmes  to  their 
planned  end-state  will  require  additional  funding  in  2021-2027,  for  which  the 
Commission has proposed new Regulations4. These proposals also establish national 
contribution  levels,  thus  removing  remaining  uncertainties  as  to  the  required 
funding.  

The outlook for 2020 promises further major developments: 

Bulgaria 

 

 

the construction of the national disposal facility has to move on steadily; 

the  plasma  melting  facility  has  to  enter  into  full  industrial  operation  and 
create relevant know-how; and  

  progress  will  have  to  be  made  on  the  management  of  legacy  waste,  and 

decontamination and dismantling activities in the reactor building;  

Slovakia  

  steady  progress  is  expected  in  dismantling  large  components  from  the 
reactor  building,  including  the  reactor  vessels,  leading  to  the  last  stage  of 
decommissioning;  

Lithuania  

 

the  transfer  of  spent-fuel  casks  to  the  storage  facility  will  continue 
seamlessly; 

 

the very low-level waste disposal facility will be used for the first time; 

  construction of the low-level waste disposal facility will start; and 

  preparations  for  dismantling  the  irradiated  graphite  core  will  move  to 

concrete action with expert support. 

For  the  three  programmes,  the  Commission  will  carry  out  a  study  on  the  EVM 
systems  already  in  place  in  order  to  identify  best  practices  and  possible  routes  for 
ongoing improvement. 

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