Russia’s Rosatom has completed the dismantling of the Lepse floating technical base, which was used for storing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.

Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation has completed a major project lasting more than 10 years to ensure the environmental safety of the nuclear industry in the North-West of Russia. The Corporation has completed the dismantling of the Lepse floating technical base.

The service vessel supported the operation of the first nuclear icebreakers and was used for storing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Its spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage facility has posed a significant environmental risk to the region for many years.

The unloading and removal of 639 spent fuel assemblies (SFA) from the vessel outside the region required special technical solutions from nuclear industry specialists, as some of the SFA were damaged.

To unload spent nuclear fuel, the Lepse was placed in a specially designed and constructed shelter to exclude the influence of weather. In addition, a special technology was devised for unloading the fuel together with the storage cell cladding. It was made to prevent the fuel assemblies from being destroyed during the unloading process. The work was carried out with the help of a robotic remote-controlled system.

The Lepse's fragments are now no longer dangerous. Moreover, additional biological protection is being installed on them from the outside to ensure safety during long-term storage. The removal of spent nuclear fuel is proceeding as planned.

State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (ROSATOM) is one of the global technological leaders, with capacities in the nuclear sector and beyond, and business partners in 50 countries. The corporation includes about 400 enterprises and organisations employing a total of more than 330,000 people.

Source: RIA Novosti

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