EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES OF UTILIZING NUCLEAR SUBMARINES AND NUCLEAR MAINTENANCE SUPPORT VESSELS IN THE FAR EAST REGION OF RUSSIA

摘要

The Far East Plant (FEP) "Zvezda" began Nuclear Submarine (NS) utilization (i.e. decommissioning and distmantlement) operations in 1989. During the following 22 years 25 NSs including 20 strategic missile NSs that makes up 90% of all already utilized NSs owned by the Pacific Navy were utilized. Because of this about 1/3 of the decommissioned Pacific NSs no longer constitute nuclear, radiation or environmental threat. These activities required considerable efforts and important financing. Since 1994 work aimed at upgrading the infrastructure of NS hull dismantling operations has been performed at FEP "Zvezda" thanks mostly to funds of the US Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program. As a result of these activities a unique complex was built at the Russian Far East. The complex includes: 1. A guillotine of 2000-t capacity to perform cutting of large- and medium-width vessel structures including NS strong hull. 2. A concrete pad and a frame crane to ensure the guillotine operation. 3. Excavating machines with mounted cutting tools for medium-width vessel structure cutting. 4. A packing press to perform pressing & packaging of thin-sheet vessel structures. 5. A transporter and casks for scrap metal loading and transportation. 6. Gas-cutting tools and equipment to perform gas-, plasma- and gasoline cutting. 7. Equipment and tools to ensure mechanical air cutting. 8. Frame cranes and truck cranes of 32-t through 80-t capacity. 9. Different-type trucks & trailers. 10. A facility to process NS dismantled electric cables. All this equipment taken together with vessel elevators and slips of the plant make it possible to utilize over four NSs per year.