The last container of damaged spent nuclear fuel has been moved from Unit 1 of the Ignalina nuclear power station in Lithuania to a temporary storage facility – an achievement that means there is no more nuclear fuel left in the reactor.

Damaged fuel management work at Iganila-1 began in September 2020 and the last 16 damaged fuel assemblies were processed and placed in a container in mid-April 2021, Ignalina NPP said.

The damaged fuel consists of spent fuel assemblies that became deformed in the reactor or have acquired shell defects such as cracks and fissures that have allowed direct contact with water. These defects occurred during transport, extraction from the reactor, transfer from the reactor hall to the storage pool hall or during storage in the storage pools.