The Soviet Union had one of the largest submarine fleets in the world. Only More than two hundred and forty nuclear submarines (NPS) of various classes were built. Their average service life was about 25 years, and the most intensive construction occurred at the end of the 60s.
At that time, up to 13 nuclear submarines were rolled off the stocks per year. Therefore, starting from the mid-80s, the pace of their withdrawal from the fleet has constantly increased. Despite this, the infrastructure for the comprehensive dismantling of nuclear submarines was never created. Decommissioned submarines were transferred to Navy storage facilities, where they were kept afloat. However, practically no thought was given to their further disposal.
The collapse of the USSR seriously aggravated this problem. A sharp decrease in military spending due to economic crisis significantly reduced the service life of nuclear submarines, which became the reason for their mass withdrawal from the fleet and further dismantling. This applied even to those nuclear submarines that had not yet reached the end of their design life. In fact, more than 200 nuclear submarines built between the 50s and 80s, as well as 14 support vessels, were subject to decommissioning.
The then existing rate of dismantling was so slow that some submarines waited in line for up to 15-20 years. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage facilities quickly became overfilled, and storage facilities were filled with decommissioned submarines. In addition, infrastructure facilities associated with the functioning of the nuclear submarine fleet have fallen into disrepair over time. All this had the worst impact on the environment in the areas where decommissioned nuclear submarines are based, gradually turning this problem from national to international.
Dock pontoon "Itarus" is preparing for transportation from Italy to Russia >>
Recycling of ships and submarines of the nuclear fleet– a very complex and expensive process. It must exclude any contamination environment and unauthorized access to radioactive materials. After all, spent nuclear fuel in large quantities contains highly enriched uranium and plutonium components nuclear weapons. Therefore, for the dismantling of nuclear submarines, an infrastructure is urgently needed, including their base sites or deposition points, dismantling enterprises, radioactive waste storage facilities, spent fuel reprocessing facilities, a system for the physical protection of nuclear materials, restoration of contaminated areas, special transport and qualified personnel.
At that time, due to the economic crisis, Russia did not have the necessary funds to create such an infrastructure. But thanks to international financial assistance, in particular, programs such as “Cooperative Threat Reduction” and “Global Partnership,” the pace of disposal of the USSR’s nuclear legacy began to increase. Already in 2015, out of 201 decommissioned Soviet nuclear submarines, 195 were disposed of. Along with financial support, technical assistance. For example, in 2006, the self-loading vessel Transshelf was used to transport three decommissioned nuclear submarines with a heavy draft resulting from depressurization of ballast tanks.
In 2003, as part of the Global Partnership program, Russia and Italy entered into an agreement on cooperation in the field of dismantling nuclear submarines decommissioned from the Russian fleet, as well as the safety of handling radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. One of the results of these agreements was the construction of the specialized vessel Rossita and the docking pontoon Itarus. Both were built at the Muggiano shipyard of the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The ice-class vessel "Rossita" was created for the transportation of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.. His main place of work is the area of the Guba Andreeva and Gremikha coastal bases. The ship's gross tonnage is 2567 tons, its length is 84 m, its width is 14 m, and its crew consists of 18 people. High level Rossita's security is ensured by the most advanced systems and equipment. In particular, the ship is equipped with a fire extinguishing system, as well as biological protection in the form of water tanks located around the perimeter of the ship. Special containers for nuclear waste are transported in two isolated holds of Rossita with a total volume of 720 tons. Their weight can reach 40 tons, they are completely sealed and very durable. Their fall from a 9-meter height or flooding at a depth of up to two hundred meters will not cause them damage leading to depressurization.
The non-self-propelled docking pontoon “Itarus” is designed for lifting, transporting and placing three-compartment reactor blocks of dismantled nuclear submarines on a slipway in the Sayda-Guba department of the North-Western Center for Radioactive Waste Management “SevRAO”. The total carrying capacity of the vessel is 3500 tons, the length is 85 m, the width is 31 m, the crew is six people. Its design allows it to transport almost any reactor compartment. In addition, Itarus has good survivability - if it runs aground or collides, it will remain afloat.
Today in the Murmansk region there are three main complexes, on the territory of which work is underway to store and eliminate the nuclear legacy of the USSR. This Sayda-Guba, where nuclear submarine reactor compartments are stored. Gremikha (Ostrovnoy), where cassettes with spent fuel are reloaded from the reactors of decommissioned nuclear submarines; and Guba Andreeva, where about 22,000 fuel assemblies from nuclear submarines are stored.
Complex in the area settlement Saida Guba includes long-term block storage reactor compartments, and also occupies part of the water area where multi-compartment blocks are stored afloat. According to the IAEA classification, it belongs to the second degree of radiation hazard. Its construction began in 2005, and in just 10 years in the Arctic, on the site of a wasteland and a swamp, it was possible to build one of the most modern complexes of its kind. During construction, it was necessary to remove about 200,000 m³ of rock and level a small hill. Here, piers, electrical networks, roads and production workshops were built from scratch.
The ground part of the complex consists of three zones. The first is the actual long-term storage site for reactor units of decommissioned nuclear submarines. The second is a workshop for painting and repairing them. And the third zone, the most technologically advanced, is the solid radioactive waste conditioning workshop. The concrete site of the long-term storage facility accommodates 120 sealed single-compartment blocks with reactors from decommissioned nuclear submarines. Of these, 84 are already occupied and about forty more are waiting their turn.
Sealed single-compartment blocks are formed from three-compartment ones. The latter contain a reactor compartment and two adjacent compartments, which are cut out of the nuclear submarine after nuclear fuel is unloaded from it. Three-compartment blocks are carefully sealed and left afloat under constant supervision. Some of them, due to the lack of technology and special disposal complexes, stayed in the water for a very long time.
With the help of Itarus, the three-compartment block is unloaded ashore and brought into the workshop, where it is freed from the light hull and side floating tanks. After this, the remaining reactor compartment is sewn into a box of additional steel sheets, which is filled with concrete. At the final stage, keel blocks are welded to it, painting is done and it is placed in a long-term storage area. The unit will remain here for 70 years, and every decade it will be moved to a workshop for coating restoration and radiation monitoring.
The facility at Andreeva Bay, notorious for its accident, when about 700 thousand tons of highly radioactive water leaked into the Barents Sea, was created to store waste from the nuclear icebreaker fleet. Later it was transferred to the Northern Fleet, and since 1993 its operation for receiving radioactive waste was discontinued. During the downtime, this largest storage facility in the world fell into deplorable condition. During its examination in 2007, it was revealed that about 65% of the fuel assemblies stored here had varying degrees of damage. The buildings and storage facilities were in such a state that it was impossible to determine what substances were in the tanks or containers.
Today, unlike the complex at Sayda Guba, the restoration of infrastructure at Andreeva Guba is still ongoing. All work is planned to be completed next year, 2017. Once completed, this complex will ensure the safest possible handling, storage and removal for reprocessing of the largest amount of spent nuclear fuel in the global nuclear industry. It is planned that containers with fuel assemblies will be delivered for further disposal to the Chelyabinsk region to the Mayak special enterprise. Solid radioactive waste, after being transported to Sayda Guba and undergoing a full cycle of cleaning and conditioning, will be placed in sealed containers for long-term storage.
The main goal of these large-scale projects is to completely clean up the Arctic region from nuclear legacy cold war. Considering the volume, speed and quality of the work carried out, the day when these places will become completely safe is already close.
Plans and realities
In 1990, Russia began dismantling its first nuclear submarines. And Saida Guba became the first refuge for the cut-out reactor compartments of dismantled nuclear submarines. Reactor compartments were dragged by tugs to Saida from Severodvinsk and other plants, where the Soviet nuclear fleet was intensively slaughtered for money from the Nana-Lugar program (a program for joint reduction of the nuclear threat between the United States, Russia and the CIS countries).
The number of reactor compartments attached to the Sayda Guba floating piers increased every year. By 2003, there were already about fifty of them.
Initially, it was assumed that all this extremely dangerous legacy of the Cold War would remain here for no more than 10 years, and then be moved to secure storage facilities. They were planned to be built just during these years. However, even after 12 years, construction had not begun, and the remains of the nuclear submarine splashed in sea water.
...Let's say more, there were no storage facilities or special sites for these purposes either in the north or in the east of Russia, which Bellona wrote about in its numerous publications and reported at international events where issues of nuclear and radiation safety were discussed.
German technology came to Saida Guba
In October 2003, an agreement was concluded between the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Industry on the construction of an onshore storage facility for reactor compartments of dismantled nuclear submarines.
In 2004, construction began on an onshore storage facility for reactor compartments in Saida Guba, located in the Kola Bay near the Nerpa shipyard. The project was funded by the German government. In addition, German companies developed technologies and were directly involved in the construction of the entire onshore storage infrastructure. German experience and technology were used to create a unique system for transporting 40-ton reactor compartments of decommissioned submarines.
by the German government 700 million euros invested
In 2005, work began on preparing the site for the construction of a metal-concrete slab for the storage site. In total, about 300 thousand cubic meters were removed. m of soil, about 200 thousand cubic meters were blown up and removed. m of rocks. In total, more than 1 million cubic meters were moved. m of materials. In addition, underwater work was carried out to remove soil and prepare a “cushion” for landing the dock.
To date, about 700 million euros have been spent on the project.
Dramatic changes
At the end of June 2013, the Public Council of Rosatom organized a technical tour to the onshore storage facility for reactor compartments in Saida Guba. It’s hard to put into words the impression of what Saida Guba looks like today, which 10 years ago there was nothing but a few dilapidated houses of a fishing state farm. This is a must see.
Photo 1
Less than 10 years ago there was a wasteland and a swamp here. Today it is the most modern complex in the country for storing reactor compartments (RC). The roads and everything around are made with German quality and care. Director Vazgen Hambardzumyan proudly showed concrete roads that do not have a single pothole or a single stain of automobile oil.
Smoking is strictly prohibited on the premises, and everyone is personally responsible for their assigned area. Discipline, accuracy, punctuality - the conditions set by our German colleagues.
It is incredible that such a modern complex was built in such a short period of time in the Arctic conditions. In 1995, when Bellona began its work in the North, we could not even dream of such global solutions. The goal was to achieve minimum radiation and nuclear safety. Today we can state: with the conservation of radioactive waste, things have progressed much further than our wildest expectations.
Today, there is still little left in the Russian part of the Barents Sea: the dismantling of the Lepse floating base, bringing the radioactive waste storage facilities in Andreeva Bay and Gremikha “to a common denominator.” After which the project can be considered completed.
Photo 2
The director of the coastal storage facility, former submariner Vazgen Ambartsumyan, presents his “brainchild”. And when he talks about the complex, it becomes clear that for successful projects We need not only German money and technology, but also Russian enthusiasts who support their cause with all their hearts.
In the photo from left to right: Mark Glinsky - First Deputy General Director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Gidrospetsgeologiya", Alexander Nikitin, Vazgen Ambartsumyan.
Photo 3
The most reliable packaging for a reactor and its “piping” is a durable submarine hull. After cleaning and special training it is placed on a site where it will be stored safely for the next 70 years.
Every 10 years it will be transported to a workshop for coating restoration and radiation monitoring. And in 70 years, our descendants will make the decision - they will figure out what to do next with the remnants of the Cold War.
Photo 4
And this is a completely “fresh” compartment from the titanium body of the K-463 nuclear submarine of Project 705 (Alpha type, according to the NATO classification). It still has to go through the entire technological chain before it takes its place on the site, becoming just as beautiful, and most importantly, safe. Titanium is an eternal metal if handled correctly.
Photo 5
The next compartment is ready for the processing procedure (i.e., cleaning, application of a special coating and special paint). The radiation safety and durability of storage of dismantled nuclear submarine parts will depend on its quality.
“The dosimetrists examining the buildings have a task - to find “radiation” in areas of the RO building at all costs. And they almost never cope with this task,” says director Ambartsumyan. - The quality of RO processing is such that the compartment leaves the workshop “clean”, the background is no greater than that of the granite surrounding the site. With the exception of some buildings that had a difficult working life..."
Story
Initially, Sayda Guba was a fishing village. From 1938 to 1979 the village had the status of a working village. In 1990, the village was transferred to the Northern Fleet, after which it began to be used for surface storage of nuclear submarines and reactor compartments. Currently, a long-term above-ground storage facility for reactor compartments is being built in the village, which is designed to store 120 reactor compartments. Construction began in 2004, the German government invested about 700 million euros in the project. As of 2013, 54 reactor compartments of dismantled nuclear submarines are stored and maintained at the coastal site, 32 three-compartment units (including the reactor compartment) are waiting their turn afloat at the floating piers. Commissioning is planned in the coming years regional center on handling and conditioning of radioactive waste.
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Excerpt characterizing Sayd Guba
Her voice trembled, she almost cried, but she recovered and calmly continued: “And I don’t want to get married at all.” And I'm afraid of him; I have now completely, completely calmed down...The next day after this conversation, Natasha put on that old dress, which she was especially famous for the cheerfulness it brought in the morning, and in the morning she began her old way of life, from which she had fallen behind after the ball. After drinking tea, she went to the hall, which she especially loved for its strong resonance, and began to sing her solfeges (singing exercises). Having finished the first lesson, she stopped in the middle of the hall and repeated one musical phrase that she especially liked. She listened joyfully to the (as if unexpected for her) charm with which these shimmering sounds filled the entire emptiness of the hall and slowly froze, and she suddenly felt cheerful. “It’s good to think about it so much,” she said to herself and began to walk back and forth around the hall, not walking with simple steps on the ringing parquet floor, but at every step shifting from heel (she was wearing her new, favorite shoes) to toe, and just as joyfully as I listen to the sounds of my own voice, listening to this measured clatter of a heel and the creaking of a sock. Passing by the mirror, she looked into it. - "Here I am!" as if the expression on her face when she saw herself spoke. - “Well, that’s good. And I don’t need anyone.”
The footman wanted to enter to clean something in the hall, but she did not let him in, again closing the door behind him, and continued her walk. This morning she returned again to her favorite state of self-love and admiration for herself. - “What a charm this Natasha is!” she said again to herself in the words of some third, collective, male person. “She’s good, she has a voice, she’s young, and she doesn’t bother anyone, just leave her alone.” But no matter how much they left her alone, she could no longer be calm and she immediately felt it.
The entrance door opened in the hallway, and someone asked: “Are you at home?” and someone's steps were heard. Natasha looked in the mirror, but she did not see herself. She listened to sounds in the hall. When she saw herself, her face was pale. It was he. She knew this for sure, although she barely heard the sound of his voice from the closed doors.
Natasha, pale and frightened, ran into the living room.
- Mom, Bolkonsky has arrived! - she said. - Mom, this is terrible, this is unbearable! – I don’t want... to suffer! What should I do?…
Before the countess even had time to answer her, Prince Andrei entered the living room with an anxious and serious face. As soon as he saw Natasha, his face lit up. He kissed the hand of the Countess and Natasha and sat down near the sofa.
“We haven’t had the pleasure for a long time...” the countess began, but Prince Andrei interrupted her, answering her question and obviously in a hurry to say what he needed.
“I wasn’t with you all this time because I was with my father: I needed to talk to him about a very important matter.” “I just returned last night,” he said, looking at Natasha. “I need to talk to you, Countess,” he added after a moment of silence.
The Countess, sighing heavily, lowered her eyes.
“I am at your service,” she said.
Natasha knew that she had to leave, but she could not do it: something was squeezing her throat, and she was discourteously, directly, with open eyes looked at Prince Andrei.
"Now? This minute!... No, this can’t be!” she thought.
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