It has been 20 years since the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania was decommissioned, and over a thousand people still work at the plant. The plant’s Soviet RBMK-1500 reactors are the same type that famously failed in the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Lithuania was forced to close the first reactor as a condition for joining the EU in 2004, and the second reactor was shut down five years later. However, the process of completely dismantling the plant has been slow, as it has never been done before in an orderly fashion.
The nuclear fuel used in these reactors is uranium, and the final disposal of the radioactive waste is not yet resolved. The director of the TV series “Chernobyl” even used the Ignalina nuclear power plant as a location, turning it into a tourist destination.
There are ongoing discussions about expanding nuclear power in Sweden, with the country’s Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch investing in a “massive expansion of new nuclear power by 2045”. This decision is sparking debate about who will pay for the investment and how to handle the dismantling and disposal of end-of-life nuclear plants.
Several citizens have expressed their diverse opinions, ranging from the belief that nuclear investments are expensive and unnecessary to others advocating for the necessity of stable base power through nuclear water or large gas/oil power plants. The debate continues, as Sweden considers its options for future energy production.