Procurement of consulting services on reactor dismantling has been announced

SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) is approaching the main challenge in decommissioning activities – dismantling of reactors.

During the implementation of the reactor dismantling project, SE INPP plans to carry out two public procurements in the near future: 1) procurement of project management and technical consulting services; 2) procurement of reactor dismantling technology design services.

On March 21, SE INPP announced a public procurement of project management and technical consulting services. These consultations are needed to bring best international practices in the management and implementation of complex projects.

With this procurement, SE INPP will acquire consultations on decommissioning project management, focusing on the management of the most important projects in accordance with best international practice, consultations on the selection of the best reactor core dismantling option, the most important technical solutions, potential problems, etc. The service provider will have to carry out independent analysis of the technical solutions, calculations, data, methodologies, and assumptions on which they are based and provide other technical and engineering assistance as required.

The preliminary contract for project management and technical consulting services is planned to be concluded for a period of 6 years, i.e., for the entire stage of technology design and licensing. The maximum contract price is EUR 9 million. The scope of consulting services acquired will depend on the needs of SE INPP.

Legal entities that meet the qualification requirements specified in the procurement documents may participate in the international procurement of consulting services. It should be noted that the contract with the winner of consulting services will be concluded only after the decision that the intended contract meets national security interests will be adopted (in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on the Protection of Objects of Importance to Ensuring National Security).

“There are only a few examples of graphite reactor dismantling in the world today, but a RBMK-type reactor has never been dismantled before. The dismantling of reactor cores and the management of activated reactor waste will be a technically complex and expensive process, the technology of which will be developed for the first time, and each first time will involve higher risks. To minimize the risks as much as possible, we want both project management and technical decision-making to involve highly qualified experts, whose consultations would achieve the best possible result for both the company and the financial donor – the European Commission, which is highly interested in the success and security of this project,” said Audrius Kamienas, INPP Director General.

The dismantling of the world's two most powerful RBMK-type reactors is a decommissioning project with no analogues in world. Physical dismantling of the reactor systems is planned to begin in 2027.

More information about the procurement here 

The project "Consultancy services associated with dismantling of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant reactor systems" (1A.20/02/TSG.01) is funded by the EU Ignalina Programme Fund.