NEWS RELEASES

August 4, 2004 (1:00 p.m. EDT) No. 88

CANADA HELPS RUSSIA DISMANTLE NUCLEAR SUBMARINES

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced the signing of a $24.4-million agreement to assist Russia to dismantle its decommissioned nuclear submarines. The initiative is part of Canada’s $1-billion pledge under the G8-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

“Spent nuclear fuel in Russian submarine reactors presents an international security risk and an environmental threat to the Arctic and Barents Sea,” said Mr. Pettigrew. “Funding this initiative is a key element of our international security agenda and a high priority for Canada under the G8 Global Partnership announced at Kananaskis.”

Russia currently has 56 retired nuclear submarines in the Barents Sea region awaiting disposal. Canada’s contribution will be to assist with the dismantlement of three Victor class nuclear submarines. Canada will be concluding at least three more similar annual agreements to support the dismantlement of 12 submarines at a total cost of approximately $116 million.

The recently concluded bilateral agreement between Canada and Russia provides the framework that governs Canada and Russia’s bilateral cooperation under the Global Partnership, and the dismantlement of decommissioned nuclear submarines is the first project under that agreement.

This project complements Canada’s initial funding of $32 million for environmental remediation of Russia’s naval nuclear legacy via the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, previously announced by the Prime Minister in May 2003.

Canada now joins the United Kingdom, Norway, Japan, Germany and the U.S. in funding Russian nuclear submarine dismantlement activity. Germany is funding infrastructure to safeguard empty nuclear reactors that are left after the dismantlement and nuclear defueling process.

Russia is the second-largest contributor to the Global Partnership, with US$2 billion, following the U.S. with US$10 billion.

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A backgrounder is attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca

Backgrounder

CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR THE DISMANTLEMENT OF DECOMMISSIONED RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SUBMARINES

The dismantlement of decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines was listed among the priority concerns enumerated by G8 leaders when they launched the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction at the 2002 G8 Summit in Kananaskis. Under the Global Partnership initiative, the G8 leaders undertook to raise up to US$20 billion to address a number of non-proliferation, disarmament, counterterrorism and nuclear safety issues, initially in Russia.

Canada, for its part, will contribute up to C$1 billion to the Global Partnership over 10 years. The first tranche of Canadian funding was announced in advance of the 2003 G8 Summit in Evian, and those projects are currently being developed and implemented. Included in this first announcement was a contribution to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) program to secure and safely store spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes removed from Russia’s Northern Fleet. The second series of projects, announced in 2004, includes over C$100 million for the dismantlement of decommissioned nuclear submarines in Russia’s North. This joint Canada-Russia project will involve dismantling three nuclear submarines per year over the next four years (for a total of 12 nuclear submarines). The conclusion of a bilateral agreement with Russia at the Sea Island G8 Summit enables Canada to conduct projects directly with Russia, and the submarine project is the first to be announced under that agreement.

The end of the Cold War arms race left Russia with a legacy of nearly 200 nuclear submarines in need of immediate dismantling. Over the past 10 years, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States have supported Russia’s submarine dismantlement process. However, much more now needs to be done by the international community to secure the nuclear fuel on these submarines from both terrorism and proliferation threats, in addition to removing the enormous threat these submarines pose to the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic basin. It is to reduce the threat of both terrorism and proliferation that G8 leaders identified the dismantlement of decommissioned nuclear submarines as a key priority under the Global Partnership.

Submarine dismantlement

Dismantling decommissioned nuclear submarines is a lengthy and expensive process consisting of 14 broad steps as outlined below. The total cost of dismantling all of Russia’s decommissioned nuclear submarines will likely reach several billion dollars.

Canada and its partners

In keeping with its commitment to increase global security, Canada is working bilaterally with Russia and multilaterally with its G8 and other interested partners to address the decommissioned nuclear submarine problem in an effective and coordinated manner. Canada is also cooperating with multilateral organizations such as the EBRD, where Canada’s contribution will help ensure that Russia’s nuclear fleet is safely dismantled and the resulting materials secured against potential terrorism or proliferation threats.

The largest contributor, the United States, is contributing US$10 billion over ten years. Russia is the second-largest contributor to the G8 Global Partnership, with a commitment of US$2 billion over the next 10 years. This is a concrete demonstration of Russia’s own commitment to this important global initiative—a true partnership.

Nuclear submarine dismantling steps/stages

STEP/STAGE 1: Decommissioned submarine. The submarine is afloat at its navy base, and responsibility for the submarine rests with its naval crew. The submarine is out of service and has been identified for decommissioning. It is assumed to be at a site other than its intended dismantlement location for the purpose of this process evaluation.

STEP/STAGE 2: Surveillance and maintenance. The submarine is subject to ongoing security surveillance and monitoring by the naval base. This ongoing effort is intended to safely maintain the reactor and condition of the submarine until such time as it is transported for dismantlement.

STEP/STAGE 3: Preparation for transit. The submarine is prepared for transportation to the defuelling location. The development of a dismantlement plan is initiated while the ship is at the site of origin. As part of this process, the ship designer performs an inspection of the submarine to determine its transportation requirements (physical modifications or repairs, safety considerations, etc.). Maintenance and repairs required to safely effect transport of the submarine to the dismantlement location are made.

STEP/STAGE 4: Transportation. The submarine is moved to its defuelling location by a contracted non-military transportation company. For this evaluation, it is assumed that this move is to the submarine’s final dismantlement location.

STEP/STAGE 5: Arrival and acceptance. The submarine arrives at the defuelling location. The shipyard accepts the submarine for defuelling and assumes all responsibility for the submarine.

STEP/STAGE 6: Preparations for defuelling. The submarine is prepared for defuelling. All equipment, personnel, supplies and infrastructure are put in place in preparation for this activity, and permission is obtained to start the defuelling process.

STEP/STAGE 7: Defuelling. The fuel is removed from the submarine by either a support ship or a fixed transfer station at the dock. The fuel can be loaded onto a service ship at the pier or moved to a storage container on the pier (stored for future transportation by ship or train). After the removal of the fuel, the submarine is no longer considered a nuclear submarine. This represents the start of the fuel handling cycle.

STEP/STAGE 8: Preparations for dismantlement. All of the equipment and support infrastructure for the dismantlement process is put in place. The dismantlement plan is used to direct this effort.

STEP/STAGE 9: Construction of three-compartment unit. The reactor compartment is separated in the form of a three-compartment unit. The fore and aft sections of the submarine are cut and removed to produce the reactor compartment unit. The fore and aft sections are moved away from the reactor compartment, leaving the remaining reactor compartment unit.

STEP/STAGE 10: Generation and management of waste and product streams. Steps 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 produce waste and product streams that require management, handling and disposition. These streams include spent nuclear fuel, scrap material, radioactive waste (solid and liquid) and non-radioactive waste (hazardous and non-hazardous). The following are the types of dismantlement products produced: insulation (asbestos, etc.); liquid radioactive waste, including chromium and other constituents; solid radioactive waste; organic wastes (fuels, oils, lubricants, tars, epoxy material, etc.); non-radioactive and non-toxic wastes (metals, pipes, precious, ferrous, non-ferrous materials, etc.); toxic wastes (leads, coating, PCBs); and support waste steams (contaminated laundry waste). The volume of waste generated from one submarine is approximately 1,000 cubic metres.

STEP/STAGE 11: Dismantlement of fore and aft compartments. The fore and aft compartments are separated from the reactor three-compartment unit. Dismantlement of the fore and aft compartments generates waste materials and scrap for resale (monies returned to Russian government).

STEP/STAGE 12: Segregation of waste and product streams. Waste and product streams are segregated for storage either on support ships or on shore. Material is sent to an interim storage location to undergo some initial treatment or volume reduction.

STEP/STAGE 13: Transport. The reactor compartment unit is prepared for waterborne transportation and interim storage. The three-compartment unit equipment is removed, and the compartments are sealed to permit flotation and interim waterborne storage. Radioactive waste generated during the dismantlement process is stored either on shore, on a support service ship or within the reactor compartment.

STEP/STAGE 14: Reactor compartment transportation. The reactor compartment is moved to an interim or final storage location and transferred to the Russian Federal Agency of Atomic Energy for long-term storage. (Note: Germany is building a long-term storage facility as its contribution to this important initiative.)