Landysh
Encyclopedia
Landysh is a floating facility for processing contaminated water produced during the decommissioning
of nuclear submarines. It was built in Russia
with funding from Japan
as part of an agreement on nuclear arms disposal
, but has not left the wharf. Japan requested that Russia send Landysh to help in the aftermath of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.
was held and in 1975 the USSR ratified the agreement to limit the dumping of high-level radioactive wastes in the oceans. In 1983 many Convention members signed a voluntary moratorium on all dumping of radioactive wastes at sea, but the USSR did not sign and continued to dispose of low-level radioactive reactor coolant water from its nuclear submarines. Leaks and intentional releases of radioactive materials from Russian facilities in the Far East prompted Japan to offer financial aid for Russia to build facilities to treat low-level radioactive water in 1994. By 1996 a design for a floating processing facility was accepted and contracts issued to the Tomen Corporation (Japan), Babcock and Wilcox
(USA) and the Amurskiy shipyard (Russia). Landysh was built at the Amurskiy shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
, completed in 1998 and commissioned in 2000. Landysh remained at Zvezda Far East Shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen
until 2011. As of May 9, 2011 discussions between Rosatom, the Russian nuclear agency, and Japan concerning the dispatch of Landysh to Japan were still ongoing. Japanese reluctance to accept Russian assistance may be linked to the Kuril Islands dispute
between Russia and Japan.
and must be towed from one location to another. It is 63 m (206.7 ft) long, 25 m (82 ft) wide, and has a double hull; its waste-treatment facility has thick concrete
walls to prevent spills. It displaces
3,900 tonnes and carries a crew of 46.
. Landysh uses a combination of filtration
, ion exchange
and reverse osmosis
to remove radioactive material
from water. After collecting and concentrating the radioactive materials, they are mixed with cement
and placed in 200-litre barrels for further radioactive waste management.
Nuclear decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning is the dismantling of a nuclear power plant and decontamination of the site to a state no longer requiring protection from radiation for the general public...
of nuclear submarines. It was built in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with funding from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as part of an agreement on nuclear arms disposal
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
, but has not left the wharf. Japan requested that Russia send Landysh to help in the aftermath of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.
History
In 1972 the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other MatterConvention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter
The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972, commonly called the "London Convention" or "LC '72555" and also barbie abbreviated as Marine Dumping, is an agreement to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements...
was held and in 1975 the USSR ratified the agreement to limit the dumping of high-level radioactive wastes in the oceans. In 1983 many Convention members signed a voluntary moratorium on all dumping of radioactive wastes at sea, but the USSR did not sign and continued to dispose of low-level radioactive reactor coolant water from its nuclear submarines. Leaks and intentional releases of radioactive materials from Russian facilities in the Far East prompted Japan to offer financial aid for Russia to build facilities to treat low-level radioactive water in 1994. By 1996 a design for a floating processing facility was accepted and contracts issued to the Tomen Corporation (Japan), Babcock and Wilcox
Babcock and Wilcox
The Babcock & Wilcox Company is a U.S.-based company that provides design, engineering, manufacturing, construction and facilities management services to nuclear, renewable, fossil power, industrial and government customers worldwide. B&W's boilers supply more than 300,000 megawatts of installed...
(USA) and the Amurskiy shipyard (Russia). Landysh was built at the Amurskiy shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, situated on the left bank of Amur River. It is located on the BAM railway line, northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: -Geography and climate:...
, completed in 1998 and commissioned in 2000. Landysh remained at Zvezda Far East Shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen
Bolshoy Kamen
Bolshoy Kamen is a town in the south of Primorsky Krai, Russia. It serves as the administrative center of Shkotovsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population:...
until 2011. As of May 9, 2011 discussions between Rosatom, the Russian nuclear agency, and Japan concerning the dispatch of Landysh to Japan were still ongoing. Japanese reluctance to accept Russian assistance may be linked to the Kuril Islands dispute
Kuril Islands dispute
The Kuril Islands dispute , also known as the , is a dispute between Japan and Russia over sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. The disputed islands, which were occupied by Soviet forces during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation at the end of World War II, are under Russian...
between Russia and Japan.
Description
Landysh is a bargeBarge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
and must be towed from one location to another. It is 63 m (206.7 ft) long, 25 m (82 ft) wide, and has a double hull; its waste-treatment facility has thick concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
walls to prevent spills. It displaces
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
3,900 tonnes and carries a crew of 46.
Capabilities
There are conflicting reports about what level of radioactivity can be in the water processed by Landysh; some sources state that it can only process low-level water whilst other sources state it can handle medium- and low-level water; all sources agree that it can process up 7,000 m3 per year. There have been questions raised about the effectiveness of the decontamination process, especially regarding the removal of caesium-137Caesium-137
Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as a fission product by nuclear fission.It has a half-life of about 30.17 years, and decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium-137: barium-137m . Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed...
. Landysh uses a combination of filtration
Filtration
Filtration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass...
, ion exchange
Ion exchange
Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. In most cases the term is used to denote the processes of purification, separation, and decontamination of aqueous and other ion-containing solutions with solid polymeric or mineralic 'ion...
and reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
to remove radioactive material
Radionuclide
A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy available to be imparted either to a newly created radiation particle within the nucleus or to an atomic electron. The radionuclide, in this process, undergoes radioactive decay, and emits gamma...
from water. After collecting and concentrating the radioactive materials, they are mixed with cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and placed in 200-litre barrels for further radioactive waste management.