Lepse service ship
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The technical support vessel Lepse presents the biggest nuclear and radiation risk of all retired nuclear service ships in Russia. In 1988, the vessel was taken out of service, and, in 1990. The Lepse's SNF storage holds (in casks and caissons) 639 spent fuel assemblies (SFAs), and a significant portion of them is severely damaged. Extraction of the SFAs from storage holds would present a radiation risk and be a complex technical operation, the framework for which has still not been worked out. The ship is presently laid-up at Atomflot, which carries out service on nuclear powered icebreakers. Atomflot is located in the Kola Bay, two kilometres from the boarder of Murmansk city, which has population of 400,000. The ship is operated by joint stock company Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCo).
Bellona Archive
Murman.RFN.ru
Nils Bøhmer
The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to fund the first part of a nuclear waste cleanup project of the “Lepse” nuclear service ship, the Barents Observer regional newspaper reported.
The project on Lepse nuclear storage ship will be carried out at the Nerpa shipyard in Murmansk region, where Kursk submarine was previously scrapped.
Russian company Aspect-Konversia (Rosatoms daughter company) signed a contract on implementation of Lepse storage ship dismantling.
Alexander Raube