The region of the European Union around the Baltic sea especially the countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not adequately integrated to the European electricity grid. At the end of 2009 Ignalina NPP (Lithuania), which generated ~70-75% of electricity in Lithuania and supplied electricity to Latvia and Estonia was permanently shutdown leaving the region without nuclear power generation. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are discussing building new NPP of ABWR type in Visaginas (Lithuania). Poland employed its own program for nuclear energy and is a potential partner for Visaginas NPP as well.
New electricity grid interconnections Lithuania – Sweden and Lithuania – Poland are under construction and should start operation at the end of 2015 provide possibilities for synchronization of the electricity grid of the Baltic region with the continental Europe. Building new NPP affects the whole region not only in technological but in macroeconomic field as well.
Different level of nuclear safety and radiation safety knowledge as well as R&D infrastructure exists in countries of the Baltic region. BRILLIANT is developed to find an optimal regional solution by creation of cooperation platform for modern electrical power solutions. This will be achieved by identifying the barriers for nuclear power development in Baltic region and preparing a ground for overcoming them. The project will support the exchange of knowledge, competences and infrastructure among the countries of Baltic region – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. The company VAE SPB (Lithuania) is established for implementation of preparatory works of new Visaginas NPP. VAE SPB is an industrial partner in the project providing valuable insights and information.
Cooperation among project partners would give better synergies with on-going and future Euratom projects in particular those offering access to research infrastructures in conjunction with education and training.
The BRILLIANT project helps to achieve the objectives of the Energy Union Strategy in the EU (EC initiative announced in February 2015) in terms of:
- Diversification of energy sources,
- Ensuring security of energy supply,
- Reducing of EU countries dependency on energy imports,
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU,
- Fighting against climate change.
This is a 3 year Project financed by the European Commission’s program EURATOM.
LEI activities in the Project
In July 2015, a joint Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Swedish organizations programme Horizon 2020 EURATOM project BRILLIANT has been launched. The objective of the project is to determine the actual obstacles faced by nuclear energy development and try to overcome them. Universities, research institutes and a business partner JSC VAE SPB participate in the project, the aim of which is to prepare for the construction of Visaginas NPP in Lithuania. Project participants agree that it may be easier to overcome individually complex obstacles for each party by cooperating on a regional level. Project covers the following issues: relatively low power systems; influence of nuclear power programs on macro economy and energy security; strengthening nuclear power research and development capabilities in the region; regional cooperation in development of nuclear waste management and nuclear fuel closed cycle technologies; informing the society about benefits of strengthening nuclear energy and national and regional capabilities in the fields of new technology development and application.
In July 2015, European Commission held the first project meeting. During the meeting, work plans and project implementation issues were discussed with EC representatives. In November 2015, at the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, project objectives and tasks were presented to the interested Lithuanian institutions, and in December, introductory visit to Oskarshamn NPP operated in Sweden took place. During the visit, radioactive waste storage infrastructure was introduced, and Swedish experience on how organizations operating nuclear energy infrastructure and local residents can successfully cooperate was presented.
In 2016, a joint Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Swedish organizations programme Horizon 2020 EURATOM project BRILLIANT was continued. The objective of the project is to determine the actual obstacles faced by nuclear energy development and try to overcome them. Universities, research institutes and a business partner JSC VAE SPB participate in the project, the aim of which is to prepare for the construction of Visaginas NPP in Lithuania. During the year 2016 project ideas and activities were presented for the interested institutions of Poland, Latvia and Estonia, in September, an introductory visit to Oskarshamn NPP, operated in Sweden, took place. During this visit, including representatives from Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the participants got acquainted with Swedish experience, also had a possibility to see how to successfully operate nuclear power plants and manage the radioactive waste, were introduced to present nuclear energy infrastructure. Oskarshamn is a good example on how organizations operating nuclear energy infrastructure and local residents can successfully cooperate.
In 2016, a joint Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Swedish organizations programme Horizon 2020 EURATOM project BRILLIANT was continued. The objective of the project is to determine the actual obstacles faced by nuclear energy development and try to overcome them. Universities, research institutes and a business partner JSC VAE SPB participate in the project, the aim of which is to prepare for the construction of Visaginas NPP in Lithuania. During the year 2016 project ideas and activities were presented for the interested institutions of Poland, Latvia and Estonia, in September, an introductory visit to Oskarshamn NPP, operated in Sweden, took place. During this visit, including representatives from Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the participants got acquainted with Swedish experience, also had a possibility to see how to successfully operate nuclear power plants and manage the radioactive waste, were introduced to present nuclear energy infrastructure. Oskarshamn is a good example on how organizations operating nuclear energy infrastructure and local residents can successfully cooperate.
Total cost of the Project: 1 197 345 EUR (LEI part: 275 937,50)
Coordinator: LITHUANIAN ENERGY INSTITUTE, Lithuania
Participants:
- NATIONAL CENTRE FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH (NCBJ), Poland
- UNIVERSITY OF TARTU (TARTU), Estonia
- LATVIAS UNIVERSITATE (UL), Latvia–with Institute of Physics of University of Latvia (IPUL) as linked 3rd party
- KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN (KTH), Sweden–with Oskarhamn –Nova Center for University Studies, Research and Development (in-kind contribution)
- CENTER FOR PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (FTMC), Lithuania
- UAB VAE SPB (VAE SPB) (industrial partner), Lithuania