VILNIUS - European donors to the closing of the Ignalina nuclear power plant gave the go-ahead for 15 projects with a combined value of 225 million euros that will facilitate the shutdown, while officials expressed surprise at the aggressive bidding by two foreign consortiums.
Donors approved funding required for the equipment needed to dismantle the nuclear power plant, upgrade the training center, construct a low-level radioactive waste burial trench and other works, said Arturas Dainius, secretary of the Economy Ministry.
Moreover, financial support will be extended for projects on upgrading the desulfurization units and control systems at the Elektrenai power plant, which should operate at full capacity after the shutdown of Ignalina's reactors. Tenders should be announced by year-end.
Also, a special European Commission committee should this week approve Lithuania's application for a grant of 285 million euros from the International Ignalina Decommissioning Support Fund, which is administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The committee is also expected to confirm precise terms for the transfer of funds.
The European Union has pledged to grant 285 million euros in assistance for projects on the Ignalina decommissioning in 2004-2006 in the so-called INPP Protocol, which constitutes an appendix to Lithuania's Accession Treaty.
Donors will make a final decision on the remaining 60 million euros in September.
Lithuania has pledged to close the first of the two power units at Ignalina by the end of 2004, followed by the whole plant in 2009, should the EU provide the funding.
The Lietuvos Rytas daily wrote last week that the decommissioning projects were making a slight headway despite numerous hurdles and reports of overbidding.
Officials from the nuclear plant and the EBRD were reportedly shocked at bids submitted by some foreign consortiums on the construction of a radioactive waste storage facility. Two consortiums taking part in the tender have submitted bids with a value twice exceeding the scheduled amount, at 274 million litas (79.4 million euros).
Sources said that both the Ignalina plant's administration and EBRD officials were unsure what should be done - either announce a new tender or pay the amount demanded by the foreign contractors.
