A Russian submarine held in port at Amsterdam in the Netherlands for 18 years is finally to be scrapped. It will not be an easy task as the 90-metre long vessel contains asbestos and Chrome-6, an extremely heavy toxic.
The Foxtrot has been at the front of the NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam since 2002. The ship is in poor condition and will be removed under so-called ‘administrative pressure’.
Job for experts
The project is led by Struijk Demolition. The venture is supported by waste management major Renewi, Earthworks, Jansen Recycling Group and Purified Metal Company (PMC), an expert in recycling asbestos-containing steel, and several other specialised companies. They were awarded the contract through a European tendering procedure.
Dismantled and cleaned
The submarine will first be shipped to Jansen Recycling in Vlaardigen, Port of Rotterdam. Jansen has the expertise, experience and equipment to dismantle ships and oil platforms. The next step is to transport the Chrome-6 and steel scrap containing asbestos to Delfzijl, in the north of the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned in PMC’s specialised facility. During this process, the asbestos disintegrates into harmless components while the Chrome-6 is removed. The steel is sent to steel smelters for reuse.
A first for PMC
The Foxtrot is one of the first major demolition projects where contaminated scrap will be processed in PMC’s own facility, which is expected to be operational by July 2020.
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