News

Nerpa shipyard sent reactor compartments to dry storage facility

Publish date: November 23, 2007

The second shipment operation on transfer of reactor compartments from the first and second generation nuclear submarines to the Sayda bay storage facility is completed this year.

It took 7 hours for the floating dock Pallada with six reactor compartments onboard and accompanied with the tug-boats to deliver the reactors to Sayda bay.

The compartments are sealed and covered with corrosion coating before placing to the dry facility for long-term storage. Nerpa shipyard prepared 14 reactor compartments for long-term storage.

Germany sponsored the onshore storage facility for reactor compartments in Sayda bay which was put in operation last year. Before the compartments were stored offshore what required much effort to keep them afloat. The dry storage is less expensive and better for the environment. The Nerpa shipyard’s specialists are working with transferral of the reactor compartments to the onshore dry storage facility. The Global Partnership program and the Russian Nuclear Federal Agency sponsor the works.

So far, the facility received 20 reactor compartments and can accept hundred more. The estimated storage time is 75 years, and then the compartments will be dismantled, B-port com reported.