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 and JRC programme in 2021 and previous years
Date: 2022-11-25
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, 25.11.2022  COM(2022) 663 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 and JRC programme in 2021 and previous years                                                    
 
 
1. 

SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS 

The  nuclear  decommissioning  programmes  co-funded  by  the  European  Union  in 
Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania have accomplished the main objectives which were set 
in  the  previous  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (MFF  2014-2020),  hence  the 
programmes have moved onto the next stages of the respective decommissioning plans. 
As  the  decommissioning  activities  progressed,  the  level  of  radiological  hazards  were 
largely  reduced  at  the  three  sites.  Particularly  important  in  this  respect  was  the 
completion  of  the  removal  of  spent  fuel  assemblies  from  the  reactor  buildings  of  the 
Ignalina  nuclear  power  plant,  two  large  RBMK  reactors  (same  type  as  in  Chernobyl) 
located in Lithuania. 

For the current  MFF 2021-2027  new objectives  were set and the decommissioning and 
radioactive waste management programme of the European Commission Joint Research 
Centre (JRC) was joined under the same funding regulations. The co-funding provided as 
of  2021  will  support  the  completion  of  the  decommissioning  programmes  in  Slovakia 
and  Bulgaria,  while  it  will  assist  Lithuania  in  embarking  the  actual  dismantling  of  the 
Ignalina reactors, a first-of-a-kind technological challenge on a global scale. The funding 
will also ensure steady progress of pre-decommissioning and decommissioning activities 
mainly  at  the  JRC  Ispra  site,  as  well  as  waste  management  and  removal  of  obsolete 
equipment in the other three JRC sites with operating nuclear research infrastructure.  

During 2021, preparatory activities of key upcoming projects progressed at a slower rate 
than  planned,  in  spite  of  the  progress  of  works  on  the  ground,  which  was  excellent  in 
some  particular  cases.  The  funds’  absorption  rate  in  Bulgaria  and  Lithuania  was  not 
satisfactory,  while,  in  Slovakia,  the  programme  stakeholders  revised  the  schedule  and 
postponed the end-date by two years until the end of 2027 as a result of past delays for 
which  applied  mitiganting  measures  were  less  effective  than  desired:  nevertheless,  the 
programme  budget  at  completion  decreased.  At  JRC,  the  programme  has  mostly 
progressed  as  planned,  although  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  other  unanticipated 
circumstances impacted the construction of support facilities for the decommissioning in 
Ispra. 

Key highlights of the implementation of the 2021 programmes are: 

  Progress of the construction of the near-surface repository for low- and intermediate-

level waste in Bulgaria (National Disposal Facility); 

  Segmentation  and  packaging  of  the  two  reactor  pressure  vessels,  i.e.  main  reactor 

casings, completed in Slovakia; 

  Removal of last batch of spent fuel assemblies from the spent fuel pool in Lithuania: 
hence  (fully  finalized  in  April  2022),  the  two  reactors  will  be  prepared  for 
dismantling; 

  Recycling  of  large  amounts  of  materials,  in  particular  metals,  at  all  three  sites;  for 
example  in  Slovakia  the  rate  of  release  of  metals  from  regulatory  control  exceeded 
95%, and more than 1 800 tonnes were recycled; 
In JRC, pre-decommissioning activities and license-application preparations in Ispra, 
the  other  sites  with  operating 
as  well  as  programme-related  activities 
infrastructure. 

in 

 

 
 
The  decommissioning  of  nuclear  facilities  and  the  management  of  the  arising  waste 
under a common instrument in the 2021-2027 MFF will take advantage of synergies and 
knowledge  sharing  with  a  view  to  ensure  dissemination  of  knowledge  and  return  of 
experience.  While  the  decommissioning  programmes  have  produced  a  first  set  of 
knowledge  products,  the  JRC  has  started  the  setting  up  of  a  dedicated  platform  for  the 
benefit  of  EU  stakeholders.  The  synergic  approach  promoted  by  the  European 
Commission has come to fruition in Bulgaria, where the decontamination equipment and 
processes previously used in Slovakia are now being deployed with a substantially higher 
efficiency  and  cost  savings.  This  positive  experience  will  be  replicated  across  the  sites 
whenever applicable, under the sponsorship of the European Commission, starting from a 
stress  test  of  the  overall  schedule  of  the  Bulgarian  programme,  in  order  to  draw  from 
lessons learnt in Slovakia and to ensure its completion by the end of 2030, as planned. 

2. 

FRAMEWORK OF THE PROGRAMMES 

The current EU long-term budget, i.e. the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-
2027,  includes  funding  programmes  for  decommissioning  and  radioactive  waste 
management,  which  are  set  out  in  two  Regulations1  (hereinafter  ‘the  Regulations’)  that 
provide  a  common  framework  for  the  Kozloduy  nuclear  power  plants  (units  1  to  4)  in 
Bulgaria, the Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant in Slovakia, the Ignalina nuclear power 
plant  in  Lithuania,  and  the  nuclear  research  installations  of  the  European  Commission 
Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.  

This report presents the implementation of the work carried out under those programmes 
as per the Regulations, Article 10. 

2.1. 

Nuclear Decommissioning Assistance Programmes 

The  first  set  of  programmes,  also  known  as  the  Nuclear  Decommissioning  Assistance 
Programmes  (NDAP),  provides  financial  assistance  for  the  decommissioning  of  a 
specific  list  of  eight  nuclear  reactors  located  in  three  sites  in  Bulgaria,  Lithuania,  and 
Slovakia.  The  programmes  originated  in  the  early  2000’s  and  are  based  on 
decommissioning plans containing clear provisions on scope, budget and planning. The 
disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository is excluded 
from  the  programmes  and  is  to  be  handled  by  each  Member  State  as  required  by  the 
Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom2. 

The  European  Commission  implements  these  programmes  under  indirect  management 
and  has  entrusted  their  implementation  to  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and 
Development  (EBRD)  for  all  three  sites  (since  2001);  the  Central  Project  Management 
Agency  (CPMA)  for  the  Ignalina  programme  (since  2003);  and  the  Slovak  Innovation 
and Energy Agency (SIEA) for the Bohunice programme (since 2016). 

1  Council  Regulation  (Euratom)  No  2021/100  of  25  January  2021  establishing  a  dedicated  financial 
programme for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the management of radioactive waste and 
repealing Regulation (Euratom) No 1368/2013 (OJ L 34, p. 3–17); 
Council  Regulation  (EU)  2021/101  of  25  January  2021  establishing  the  nuclear  decommissioning 
assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania and repealing Regulation (EU) 
No 1369/2013 (OJ L 34, 1.2.2021, p. 18–28). 

2  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). 

2 

 
                                                 
 
The EU financial support provided by the Regulations 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  and 
packaging a large amount of irradiated graphite.  

2.2. 

JRC Decommissioning and Waste Management Programme 

The  Decommissioning  and  Waste  Management  Programme  (D&WM)  of  JRC  entails  a 
complex  set  of  specific  activities  and  projects  with  related  objectives.  In  Ispra  (Italy), 
where most of the nuclear facilities ceased to operate before 1999 and where there is a 
well-established  organizational  structure  since  the  launch  of  the  programme,  the 
objectives include safe conservation, pre-decommissioning, decommissioning and waste 
management targets covering a variety of obsolete large installations and waste batches. 
For  the  other  sites  (Geel  in  Belgium,  Karlsruhe  in  Germany,  and  Petten  in  the 
Netherlands) the objectives are, to a large extent, focused on legacy waste management, 
dismantling of obsolete equipment and relatively small facilities and on the definition of 
plans and teams to implement future decommissioning and waste management activities. 

The  D&WM  programme  is  implemented  by  the  JRC  under  direct  management: 
programme management is performed by JRC staff while activities are outsourced. 

3. 

BUDGETARY IMPLEMENTATION AND CO-FINANCING 

The  funding  of  the  Kozloduy  and  Bohunice  programmes  will  be  completed  within  the 
current  MFF  2021-2027.  As  the  Ignalina  programme  is  scheduled  to  last  until  2038,  a 
difference between the budget at completion and total funds still exists.  

Bulgaria  and  Slovakia  have  established  dedicated  funds  providing  financing  for 
decommissioning and radioactive waste management. These are complemented by other 
national resources, mostly from their national budgets.  For the Ignalina programme, the 
Lithuanian  government  undertook  a  political  commitment  to  provide  funding  from  the 
national  budget  until  the  end  of  the  programme  for  an  amount  of  14%  of  the  overall 
budget. 

Table  1  displays  the  shares  of  funding  since  the  start  of  the  programme  in  the  early 
2000’s as well as the ‘Budget At Completion’, including contingencies and risks. 

Table 1: NDAP funding contributions, EUR million 

NDAP 

Kozloduy 

Bohunice 

Ignalina 

Member 
State 

Other 
donors 

EU 

Total 

Budget at 
completion 

35.7% 

40.5% 

14.0% 

0.6% 

0.7% 

0.7% 

63.7% 

58.8% 

60.5% 

100.0% 

100.0% 

75.2%3 

1 358 

1 220 

3 345 

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

3  The  total  funding  amounts  from  MFF  2021-27  and  previous  MFFs  do  not  cover  the  whole  LT 

programme which is foreseen to continue (unlike for BG and SK) after 2027. 

3 

 
                                                 
The  Regulations  introduce  maximum  co-financing  rates  which  apply  to  the  EU  budget 
under  the  MFF  2021-27;  these  rates  are  50%  for  the  Kozloduy  and  Bohunice 
programmes  and  86%  for  the  Ignalina  programme.  As  the  programmes  are  at  different 
stages  of  implementation,  these  thresholds  will be  verified  at  project  level  for  Bulgaria 
and Slovakia and at programme level for Lithuania.  

The timeframe  for the decommissioning of JRC obsolete facilities  will extend until the 
decade  of  2040.  The  programme  also  covers  experimental  facilities  that  are  still  in 
operation and the decommissioning of which will need to be planned once the facilities 
are shut down. The current estimated budget at the completion of the decommissioning 
activities in Ispra is EUR 926 million. 

Table  2  summarises  the  disbursements  made  and  allocations  assigned  to  D&WM,  split 
by site when such information is available. 

Table 2: JRC decommissioning and waste management programme (disbursements + 

allocations), EUR million 

Ispra 

Geel 

Petten 

Karlsruhe 

Total 

1999-2020 
(actual values) 

2021-2027 
(planned value) 

Total funds 

376 

12 

18 

129 

535 

260 

88 

348 

Source: JRC direct management 

636 

247 

883 

4. 

PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE 

The European Commission measures progress and performance against the objectives set 
out  in  the  Regulations.  To  support  the  monitoring  process,  the  Commission  uses 
performance indicators, including those set out in the earned value management (EVM) 
system4.  By  tracking  progress  against  the  performance  measurement  baseline,  EVM  is 
used  to  check  the  schedule  and  costs.  In  parallel,  the  programmes’  critical  path5  is 
monitored with the utmost attention and, where risks are identified, mitigating actions are 
proposed.  

In  2021  risks  threatening  the  respect  of  the  end-dates  were  identified  for  all  three 
programmes.  In  particular,  the  Bohunice  programme  end-date  was  re-scheduled  from 
2025 to 2027 (see below). 

4   ISO 21508:2018 Earned value management in project and programme management. 
5   In project planning, the critical path is the longest sequence of tasks that must be done to successfully 

complete the project. Tasks that are in the critical path, if delayed, will delay the whole project. 

4 

 
 
 
                                                 
Bulgaria — Kozloduy programme 

4.1. 
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  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Energy,  the  State  Enterprise  for  Radioactive 
Waste (SERAW) is  the licensed operator in  charge of the decommissioning, as  well as 
the construction and operation of the national disposal facility for low- and intermediate-
level radioactive waste. 

Having  completed  the  dismantling  in  buildings  other  than  the  reactor  buildings  in  the 
previous years, SERAW has intensified their decontamination and dismantling activities 
within  the  reactor  buildings  in  accordance  with  the  design  approved  by  the  national 
safety authority (BNRA). 

The  similar  designs  of  the  Bohunice  and  Kozloduy  reactors  provided  an  excellent 
opportunity to share experience, methods and equipment, thus reducing risks and cost. In 
2021, the used decontamination equipment from Bohunice for the decontamination of the 
primary circuits was delivered to Kozloduy (Figure 1): estimated savings are about EUR 
8 million and several months timewise.  

As of end 2021, SERAW had processed 539 tons of metal (as planned) and released for 
recycling  3585  tons  of  diverse  materials  (more  than  the  yearly  targets).  The  retrieval, 
treatment  and  conditioning  of  historical  and  decommissioning  radioactive  waste  are 
progressing in accordance with planned annual quantities. 

Figure 1:  Equipment  for  decontamination  of  the  primary  circuits  received  at 

Kozloduy   
photos SERAW 

The  construction  of  the  near-surface  repository  for  low-  and  intermediate-level  waste 
(National  Disposal  Facility)  started  in  2017  and  is  planned  for  completion  in  October 
2023. This milestone will have to be met on time to ensure completion of the programme 
by the end of 2030. 

The  plasma  melting  facility  (PMF)  is  a  first-of-its-kind  installation  for  reducing  the 
volume of radioactive waste. It employs a very-high-temperature thermal treatment that 

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

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

5 

 
  
 
                                                 
 
produces  a  solid  waste  form  which  is  particularly  stable  and  safe.  The  project  was 
launched in 2009 and reached the operational stage in 2019, for a total investment cost of 
EUR  8.2 million.  In  2019-2021,  SERAW  carried  out  four  operational  campaigns 
reducing the volume of input waste by 50 times on average. 

The programme performance baseline remains unchanged, with the completion date set 
in  2030.  However,  the  lower-than-planned  rate  of  implementation  and  the  complex 
interdependency of activities on the critical path both signal an increasing risk of delay. 
The  European  Commission  has  requested  the  execution  of  a  stress  test  on  the  overall 
schedule in order to confirm whether the completion date of the programme can be met, 
and to assess risks and mitigation measures. Figure 2 shows the amount of work carried 
out  (earned  value)  against  the  plan  (baseline).  The  baseline  includes  contingencies  and 
this explains part of the gap compared with the actual progress.  

Figure 2:  Kozloduy programme — 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.  The  Bohunice  programme  is  the  most  advanced  of  the  three 
NDAP.  It  may  well  become  the  first  completed  decommissioning  programme  for  a 
VVER-type reactor world-wide.  

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  includes  the  safe  decommissioning  of  the  nuclear  facilities, 
spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management on Slovak territory. 

During  2021,  JAVYS  and  their  contractors  carried  out  very  substantial  work  in 
decontamination  and  dismantling  of  the  reactors.  The  reactor  components  and  the 
pressure  vessels  were  fragmented,  decontaminated  and  packaged.  The  12  steam 
generators, each made of 145 tonnes of steel, were also dismantled; at the end of the year, 
8  steam  generators  had  been  fully  fragmented,  decontaminated  and  packaged.  Most 
prominently, the decontamination processes were optimised to such an extent to enable 

6 

 
 
the  release  of  more  than  95%  of  metals  as  non-radioactive  material,  so  that  more  than 
1 800 tonnes of metallic waste were sent to recycling. 

Figure 3:  Cutting of Reactor Pressure Vessels at Bohunice 

photos from JAVYS 

While  field  work  progressed  at  a  rather  satisfactory  pace,  JAVYS  had  to  revise  the 
overall  programme  schedule  and  postpone  the  end  date  until  2027.  This  two-year 
extension has been caused by the fact that previously set mitigation measures to recover a 
delay of a former project on the critical path were not as effective as initially expected. 
JAVYS  presented  several  scenarios  which  were  critically  reviewed  by  all  stakeholders, 
including the European Commission. Eventually, the accepted scenario set a target end-
date  in  2027  at  no  extra  costs;  rather,  the  budget  at  completion  of  the  Bohunice 
programme  was  reduced  from  EUR  1237  million  to  EUR  1220  million  as  several 
projects had been completed and related contingencies could be reduced. Completing the 
programme in 2027 is feasible but very challenging too; strategic level  risks have been 
identified and assessed to control projects delivery on time. 

Figure 4 shows the amount of work carried out (earned value) against the plan (baseline). 
A revised Detailed Decommissioning Plan (DDP 2021) to be used as the new baseline is 
being finalised to reflect the new end date. 

Figure 4:  Bohunice programme — progress and performance 

7 

 
 
 
Lithuania — Ignalina programme 

4.3. 
The Ignalina plant consists of two RBMK7 1500 reactors. Unit 1 was shut down in 2004 
and Unit 2 in 2009. Lithuania does not operate other nuclear reactors. 

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

As of end 2021, the programme had substantially progressed in removing the spent fuel 
from  the  reactor  buildings  and  its  transfer  to  the  interim  dry-storage  facility  whose 
loading  was  almost  completed  (Figure 5,  one  cask  to  go  out  of  191).  This  is  a  major 
milestone in  terms  of  nuclear safety and  reduction of the radiological  risk, opening the 
way  to  the  dismantling  of  the  reactor  core  systems.  Meanwhile,  INPP  has  started 
cleaning-up, emptying and decontaminating the spent-fuel pools. 

Figure 5:  Interim storage facility and underwater cutting of damaged fuel elements at 

Ignalina 
photos INPP 

The  dismantling  of  the  Ignalina  reactors  is  a  technological  challenge,  because  never 
before has a large reactor graphite core been dismantled. In a first phase, started in 2020 
and  running  up  to  2027,  INPP  will  remove  all  peripheral  components  from  the  reactor 
shafts. The design of the subsequent removal of the content of the shafts – the graphite, 
metal  structures  and filling material  and of the facility for the temporary storage of the 
irradiated waste – is being preceded by optioneering8 studies. In 2021 calls for tenders for 
the optioneering study were launched and contracts should be placed in the current year. 
This  slow  process  has  caused  further  delay  in  the  overall  schedule,  due  to  complex 
procurement preparations between the programme stakeholders. The delay in starting the 
design  and  the  first-of-a-kind  nature  of  the  project  will  require  a  reassessment  of  the 
programme end-date at the end of the optioneering stage.  

While  the  projects  managed  by  EBRD  were  coming  to  an  end,  Lithuania’s  Energy 
Minister expressed in March 2021 the view that the Ignalina programme should continue 
to  be  supported  by  two  entrusted  entities:  i.e.  EBRD  and  CPMA.  Accordingly,  the 
Minister  also  indicated  Lithuania’s  preference  that  EBRD  take  over  specifically  the 
project  for  the  dismantling  of  eight  steam  drum-separators  from  the  two  reactor  units. 

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

8  

8 

 
   
 
                                                 
These  preferences  were  taken  into  account  in  the  work-programme  2021-2022  and  are 
supported by a strategy based on an assessment of different scenarios of the involvement 
of  one  or  two  entrusted  entities  provided  by  the  Lithuanian  authorities.  This  strategic 
change  has  initially  slowed  down  preparatory  works  for  the  dismantling  of  other 
equipment located around the reactor zones; however an acceleration is envisaged in the 
next period. The Commission will closely monitor, and report on, the impact of the new 
strategy.  

INPP could  not  complete as planned the procurement procedure  for the construction of 
the near-surface repository for low- and intermediate-level due to the legal action of an 
excluded tenderer. However, INPP completed the construction of the landfill facility for 
very-low-level  short-lived  waste;  the  first  loading  campaign  is  planned  in  the  current 
year.  Upon  the  successful  completion  of  these  facilities,  INPP  will  have  all  the  tools 
needed for disposal of the short-lived radioactive waste under the decommissioning plan. 
A  blueprint  is  under  development  for  the  conversion  of  the  bituminised-waste  storage 
vaults into a repository, under the surveillance of the relevant regulatory bodies.  

The  programme  performance  baseline  remains  unchanged  and  sets  the  programme 
completion date for 2038. Figure 6 shows the amount of work carried out (earned value) 
against the plan (baseline).  

Figure 6:  Ignalina programme — progress and performance 

4.4. 

JRC - D&WM programmes 

Pandemic  and  contractual  issues  delayed  the  construction  of  the  on-going  waste 
management  facilities  in  Ispra,  more  precisely  the  retrieval  facility  for  the  bituminised 
drums and the grouting station to immobilize solid Low Level Radioactive Waste. 

In  Ispra,  the  construction  of  the  grouting  station  was  significantly  delayed  by  the  poor 
performance of the selected contractor, which is  still working on the completion  of the 
executive design, that was due by April 2021, according to a schedule issued by the same 
contractor at the beginning of 2021. The contract will be terminated and a new call for 
tender  launched,  covering  the  remaining  parts  of  design  and  the  construction  of  the 

9 

 
 
facility. This will cause an overall delay of 3-4 years in the commissioning of the facility, 
with  a  consequent  impact  on  waste  management  and,  eventually,  on  dismantling 
activities. 

Retrieval  facility  works  started  in  February  2021  with  excavation  and  work-yard 
preparation. Loose and bagged waste was found in the facility’s excavation yard, despite 
extensive  preliminary  characterisation  not  having  found  hints  of  contamination,  which 
imposed  suspension  of  the  works.  The  remaining  part  of  2021  was  devoted  to  the 
planning  of  remediation  activities,  including  information  and  discussion  with  the 
competent  authorities,  retrieval  and  characterisation  of  all  the  waste  and  soil 
characterization. The work-yard will restart in Mid-2022, to complete the facility in Mid-
2023. 

Figure 7: Retrieval facility for bituminised drums construction and decontamination in 

Laboratorio Caldo Studi e Ricerche (LCSR – hot laboratory) 

Ispra-Retrieval facility excavation work 
yard 

Ispra-Decontamination of hot cells in LCSR 

The  interim  storage  facility‘s  license  was  modified,  with  approval  received  in  2021,  to 
host unconditioned very low level waste. After the completion of a set of tests, operation 
is expected to start in the beginning of 2022. 

Contracts have been signed to evaluate the possibility for long-term storage of irradiated 
nuclear material outside the Ispra site, thus avoiding the construction of an onerous dry-
storage  facility  on  site.  These  studies  will  be  completed  in  Mid-2022.  The  transit  safe 
area (TSA) for temporary safe storage of irradiated nuclear material in INE has entered 
operation in May 2021. 

Pre-decommissioning  activities  have  progressed  well  in  many  facilities.  A  significant 
amount  of  donated  cyclotron  (which  is  one  of  those  facilities)  components  was 
transported  to  Prague  University  in  November  2021,  with  the  finalization  of  the 
components’  removal  in  early  2022;  in  the  meantime,  preparation  of  the  licensing 
documentation for license revocation was ongoing. 

Important pre-decommissioning clean-up work was performed in LCSR (hot laboratory), 
with  clean-up  and  gamma  scanning  characterisation  of  all  the  hot-cells,  now 
decontaminated to a level allowing operator’s direct operation and will continue in 2022 
with the decontamination of active tanks in the facility. In the meantime, the preparation 
of documentation for license revocation is ongoing. 

10 

 
 
 
INE global decommissioning, submitted at the end of 2019, is still pending approval and 
is being updated to take into account entry into operation of TSA and the 2020 change in 
law  (see  below),  but  significant  interaction  with  the  competent  authorities  has  been 
ongoing  with  the  Environmental  Impact  Assessment.  Significant  pre-decommissioning 
actions are planned for 2022. 

Due to the issuance of new legislation governing nuclear activities implemented in Italy 
in 2020, all present nuclear licenses on the Ispra’s site must be updated with a significant 
licensing and documental effort. The deadline for the submission of all documentation is 
August  2022,  already  applicable  for  the  cyclotron  license.  Another  important  file  is 
waiting for approval, which is the operational plan for the treatment of metallic waste by 
melting;  the  expected  date  for  approval,  according  to  discussion  with  the  competent 
authorities, is Mid-2022.  

Figure 8 shows the amount of work performed (earned value) against the plan (baselines 
of  2018  and  2021)  at  JRC  Ispra.  The  progress  of  implementation  at  the  other  sites  is 
achieved by completing specific projects of a lesser scope that are carried out while the 
nuclear research facilities are still in operation. 

Figure 8: Ispra - Progress and performance 

In  JRC  Petten  a  framework  contract  to  dispose  of  legacy  radioactive  waste  from  past 
experiments  has  been  concluded  with  Dutch  company  NRG.  JRC  maintains  regular 
contacts with Dutch stakeholders regarding the future decommissioning of the High Flux 
Reactor. 

At  JRC  Karlsruhe  a  feasibility  study  on  the  characterisation  of  backlog  drums  was 
commissioned and a new contract for dismantling gloveboxes was concluded. 

11 

 
 
 
 
5. 

KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION 

As  of  2021,  knowledge  dissemination  has  become  an  explicit  objective  under  the 
Regulations, with a requirement that experience and lessons learnt from the programmes 
are shared among EU stakeholders. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been mandated 
to facilitate the dissemination. To this end, the JRC planned to establish a digital platform 
for knowledge exchange and dissemination suitable to meet the relevant objectives of the 
Regulations.  

The platform will be developed in three phases. A preparatory phase will set the basis of 
the  platform,  by  defining  the  knowledge  products  addressing  the  needs  of  the  EU 
stakeholders and putting in place the structure and tools to manage them. In a pilot phase 
(2022-2023)  some  knowledge  products  will  be  developed  and  shared.  Based  on  the 
outcome of the pilot  phase, the operational  phase  will be launched (2024) for regularly 
exchanging  and  sharing  of  the  knowledge  products  developed  with  all  interested 
stakeholders. Progress will be reported in the JRC Annual Activity Reports.  

In parallel to the establishment of the platform, JRC will follow the development of other 
knowledge  sharing  initiatives  via  existing  networks  led  by  international  organisations 
such as IAEA and OECD-NEA. 

The  NDAP  decommissioning  operators  committed  to  develop  a  specific  knowledge 
product  each  year,  so  making  available  the  knowledge  matured  in  the  past  years.  Each 
knowledge  product  is  a  tangible  output  (document,  service,  event,  etc.)  of  prepared 
knowledge that enables action of selected users.  

In  2021  the  Bohunice  programme  developed  a  knowledge  sharing  product  entitled  ‘V1 
NPP Conceptual Decommissioning Plan and what  was next’.  It  shares  in the form  of a 
detailed 
set-
up/planning/costing/licensing of nuclear facility decommissioning and can be used at all 
levels of management of decommissioning projects.  

experience  with 

presentation 

JAVYS’ 

projects 

initial 

of 

The  Kozloduy  programme  developed  a  knowledge  sharing  product  using  a  three-
dimensional  model  and  Uniform  Information  Model  (UIM)  of  the  controlled  areas 
allowing  a  hands-on  experience  and  providing  detailed  information  on  the  planning, 
design and implementation of the dismantling activities and material management works. 

The  knowledge  product  developed  by  the  Ignalina  programme  is  a  technical  report 
analysing  different  technologies  for  handling  liquid  radioactive  waste,  comparing 
bituminisation and cementation.  

JRC  will  disseminate  these  three  knowledge  products  in  2022  for  the  benefit  of  EU 
operators of the nuclear decommissioning industry.  

12 

 
 
 
6. 

ACTIVITIES RESULTING FROM CALLS FOR TENDERS 

The Regulations (Article 10.3) require the  European  Commission  to  report annually on 
the rate of activities resulting from calls for tenders. 

Table 4 displays the total EU funding that has been committed by the entrusted entities, 
following contracts or grants signed in the period between 2014 and December 2021. The 
table  differentiates  the  activities  resulting  from  call  for  tenders  and  those  not  open  to 
competition,  such  as  amendments  to  existing  contracts  and  direct  grants  to  the 
decommissioning  operators  for  salaries,  small  procurements  and  radioactive  waste 
management. 

Table 3:  Breakdown of NDAP activities – 2014-2021 (EUR) 

Competitive 
procedures 
Contracts 
[Amendments 
thereof] 
87% 
 [24%] 

91% 
[33%] 

33% 
[29%] 

Not open to competition 

Contracts 

Grants 

4% 

9% 

3% 

9% 

- 

64% 

Kozloduy 
programme 

Bohunice 
programme 

Ignalina 
programme 

Total (EUR) 

389 446 866 

379 109 791 

377 098 468 

Source: Information submitted by the NDAP entrusted entities (CPMA, EBRD, SIEA) 

the  JRC  has  fully 

In  2021, 
implemented  EUR  32,4  million  of  commitment 
appropriations. The pandemic has impacted the implementation of the ongoing projects. 
Payments have been postponed, and projects have been extended.  

13 

 
  
  
 
 
 
7. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  NDAP  continued  to  make  effective  progress  in  2021,  progressively  reducing  the 
radiological  risks  for  the  EU  citizens.  However,  delays  are  accumulating  and  a 
reassessment  of  the  schedule  has  already  been  necessary  for  the  Bohunice  programme. 
Mitigation  measures  may  be  required  after  the  stress  test  of  the  Kozloduy  programme 
schedule.  In  Ignalina,  the  selection  of  the  technical  solution  for  the  dismantling  of  the 
reactors  will  be  decisive  for  the  confirmation  of  the  programme  end-date  and  overall 
funding needs after 2027.  Despite those setbacks, the adequateness  of the  EU financial 
support to the programmes during the 2021-2027 MFF is not in question. 

The  JRC  programme  has  been  impacted  by  the  delay  in  the  construction  and 
commissioning of auxiliary facilities needed to progress in the decommissioning works, 
the unanticipated discovery of legacy waste in the retrieval facility excavation yard and 
the difficulties to access the sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The delays reported above and in previous sections have been appearing in a lower-than-
planned funding absorption ratio. Should this trend continue, the European Commission 
may  consider  adjustments  in  the  financial  programming  of  those  programmes,  in  the 
context of the annual budgetary procedure. 

The outlook for 2022 promises further major developments: 

Kozloduy programme 

 

the  plasma  melting  facility  will  enter  full  operations  and  will  create  relevant 
know-how;  

  decontamination and dismantling of major components in the reactor building; 

Bohunice programme 

  reactors fully dismantled, fragmented and packaged;  

  start  of  the  last  stage  of  decommissioning,  including  the  demolition  of 

buildings and site restoration; 

Ignalina programme 

  completion of the transfer of spent-fuel from the reactors to the storage facility; 

  first operations of the very-low-level waste disposal facility; 

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

  kick-off of the optioneering studies for the dismantling of the graphite cores. 

JRC 

In  JRC-Ispra  progress  on  the  three  main  work  streams  (nuclear  material,  waste 
management  and  decommissioning)  are  envisaged  in  2022:  this  will  include  the 
relocation  of  fresh  nuclear  material,  further  advancement  in  decommissioning  of  some 
facilities  (i.e.  Ispra  cyclotron),  and  design,  licensing  and  in-field  work  for  waste 
treatment and characterisation facilities; some waste treatment off-site services will also 
produce  significant  outputs.  Progress  in  JRC  Karlsruhe  will  accelerate  in  2022  as  the 
pandemic situation allows the return of the staff to the site.  

14