Ashot Sarkissov, advisor of Nuclear Safety Institute, member of Rosatom Public Council

– Placement of nuclear ships under Rosatom’s control is a positive step

On Aug 27 2008 Murmansk Sea Shipping Company OJSC and Atomflot FSUE (Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation) signed an act of competition of procedures for transferring ships with nuclear reactors and nuclear service ships from the trust management of Murmansk Sea Shipping Company into the economic management of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation.

The placement of nuclear ships under Rosatom’s control is a positive step. This is a guarantee of effective use of the ships and their nuclear and radiation safety throughout their operation and, more importantly, at the stage of their decommissioning. From now on the decommissioning of nuclear icebreakers will be part of the strategic master plan for decommissioning of all nuclear ships and auxiliary infrastructure. As a result, we will spend less money on decommissioning but will do it more effectively.

Today, our nuclear icebreaking fleet is near crisis. But I am sure that it will be revived as it is really crucial for our country. Today, we must do all we can to restore the potential of the fleet and to actively use it for solving our economic problems.

At the current stage Atomflot should be reorganized into a structure that would effectively and professionally manage our nuclear icebreakers. Until now Rosatom has never dealt with nuclear icebreakers. So, we must use the best experience in the field and to create a structure that would be able to act in compliance with modern requirements and standards and to solve the problems that are presently solved by sea transport organizations. I am sure that Rosatom will have no problems with operating and decommissioning ship reactors.