MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. The Clean Arctic environmental project's expedition to Cape Chelyuskin will depart on Friday, August 30, from Arkhangelsk on board the Mikhail Somov vessel, the project's press service said.
"Our volunteers will sail to Eurasia's northernmost point on the Mikhail Somov scientific expedition vessel for more than two weeks. The expedition's planned term is almost two months. After it, the volunteers will present a detailed orthophoto plan, which will give a complete picture of the polluted territory and ways of cleaning it," the press service said.
Cape Chelyuskin is the Eurasian continent's northernmost point. The cape and the Chelyuskin Peninsula are located in the Taymyr's north. The Clean Arctic project has been working to clean up the northern territories since 2021. Over three seasons, the project's volunteers have collected more than 12,000 tons of waste.
The first expedition to Cape Chelyuskin is supported by the state-run Rosatom Corporation and the national hydrometeorology service, Roshydromet. The volunteers will start the cleanup and will also renovate Roshydromet's old building - the only capital building there.
According to preliminary estimates, some 40,000 old metal barrels of fuel and lubricants have been on the cape from earlier times. Therefore, ecological expeditions to Cape Chelyuskin will become regular. Volunteers will use an ATV with a trailer to transport the empty barrels.
The expedition to Cape Chelyuskin is the most difficult mission in Clean Arctic's history. According to the project's leader Andrey Nagibin, the preparations have lasted for almost a year. The Mikhail Somov will carry about 17 tons of cargo: a diesel power plant, sewage treatment plants, a gas welding machine, building materials and much more. All cargoes are packed in wooden containers. A helicopter will take them from the ship to the cape. Therefore, every box has been not to exceed 2.5 tons.