A new storage facility for spent nuclear fuel was opened on the 29th September in Murmansk. This is the largest completed project under the UK Global Partnership programme. It will allow extremely hazardous waste to be stored safely - greatly reducing any nuclear risk to northwest Russia and her neighbouring countries.
The Atomflot facility, completed in August, will provide safe storage for 3,500 spent fuel rods, in 50 casks, for up to 50 years. Designed to withstand earthquakes and terrorist attacks, with a sophisticated £2million defence system to protect the surrounding shipyard from damage and trespass, it is the first long-term spent nuclear fuel store in Russia to meet Russian and International Atomic Energy Authority standards.
The site was officially opened by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, on behalf of the British government, accompanied by representatives from the UK Department of Trade and Industry, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Crown Agents' project engineers Geoff Fishbourne and Norman Watts, and legal manager Alan Smart, were joined by representatives from its Moscow office, which has worked closely on the project.
His Excellency Mr Yuri Evdokimov, governor of the Murmansk region, said: "The project is a success due to close collaboration, teamwork and cooperation between all parties. I am grateful for the involvement and contribution of the British government, as part of the Global Partnership".