The Intergovernmental Agreement of 2003 provides for the bilateral cooperation in disposal of the Russian nuclear submarines retired from the Navy and in reprocessing of radioactive waste (RAW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The decision to design, build and commission the Rossita, a multi-purpose vessel for transportation of SNF and RAW, was explained by the fact that there was no a transport infrastructure, which would allow removing SNF from its interim storage site by land. The ship was phased in by Atomflot in August 2011. She was built by Fincantier’s Muggiano shipyard (La Spezia, Italy).
The first try
The Rossita headed off from Murmansk Seaport on July 14. The ship was to remove temporary SRW (solid radioactive waste) storage packages from the site of the North-West Center for Radioactive Waste Management (SevRAO) and to deliver them to Saida Bay for storage. “It is an important voyage for us. Though these operations are common for the company and were done by the Serebryanka motor vessel for many times, now we start operating an entirely new vessel,” Mustafa Kashka, First Deputy CEO of Atomflot, emphasized.
The Rossita left the Atomflot’s base with ten empty containers of 20 tons capacity each. In Gremikha they were filled with radioactive waste. The most difficult part of this voyage, the crew says, was the unloading of the containers in Saida Bay. “We did everything for the first time and we had to accommodate,” Andrey Poluyanov, Chief Engineer of the ship, explained. “Even the cook was engaged,” he added. The operation took seven hours. On July 20 the ship returned to Murmansk. “The Rossita came “clean”. The health physicist checked the ship,” Captain Farid Gabbasov noted.
A state-of-the-art thing
The Rossita is a modern and safe ship. She is fitted with a maneuvering device, electronic maps, sonars and many other convenient appliances the predecessor ship didn’t have. The crew notes it is easier to operate this lighter. Chief Engineer Andrey Poluyanov sailed on the Serebryanka since 1983. This year the Rossita is to make one more voyage to Gremikha. Now the crew is busy with getting the ship ready for the fall-winter navigation season.
