Stanislav Subbotin, head of Department of Long-term Reactor Concepts of Kurchatov Institute

– Control of nuclear icebreaking fleet will be a honorable duty for Rosatom

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.

Nuclear icebreakers help the state to solve its national tasks. That’s why they must always be in the hands of the state, and Rosatom, as you know, is a state corporation. It will not be an easy job for Rosatom to manage the fleet but it must as only Rosatom can effectively and safely decommission the ships and treat their spent fuel and radioactive waste.

Our country needs nuclear icebreakers for exploring and developing its northern regions and ensuring stable traffic along the Northern Sea Route. And Rosatom can be very much helpful in the matter.

Vyacheslav Ruksha perfectly knows the peculiarities and problems of nuclear icebreakers and I hope that he will be able to effectively organize Atomflot’s work.

Control of the nuclear icebreaking fleet is an honorable duty for Rosatom. For the fleet Rosatom’s control is a guarantee of stable fuel supply and effective radioactive waste treatment. I think that Rosatom will be able to preserve and develop our nuclear icebreaking fleet.