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Cracked diesel fuel reservoir at power plant in Norilsk being emptied

The cracked tank stands by the earlier leaked reservoir, containing over 12,000 tonnes of fuel, according to the company

© Denis Kozhevnikov/TASS

NORILSK, June 4. /TASS/. A cracked diesel fuel reservoir at the Norilsk Power Plant Number 3, where a massive fuel spill and a fire took place, is being emptied, Nornickel Chief Operating Officer Sergey Dyachenko told journalists Thursday.

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Putin agrees to declare national emergency over oil spill in Norilsk

On May 29, one of the power plant’s diesel fuel reservoirs suffered a breach, causing a fuel spill. A car drove into the spill, sparking a fire. Over 20,000 cubic meters of fuel was spilt, a significant part of which got into the bodies of water. The fire did not affect the power plant’s operation.

"We discovered major cracks on the tank that stands next [to the breached reservoir]. Therefore, we made a decision to dislocate the diesel fuel from this tank to Power Plant Number 1. This tank will be completely emptied, and then we will begin survey of the surrounding territory. According to our calculations, there are slightly over 12,000 tonnes of fuel. I think, we will transport all of it in one week," Dyachenko said.

A marine rescue service team with experience of elimination of over 50 fuel spills around the world has been involved in the operations. The specialists have set up several layers of containment on the Ambarnaya River and thus managed to curb further spill. The disaster relief teams work on localization of the spill. The contaminated area had its soil displaced and sprayed with sorbent compounds. The contaminated soil was transported to a temporary landfill.

The Power Plant Number 3 is driven by natural gas, while diesel is used as a reserve fuel. The power plant produces 440 MW of electric power and 1,049 Gcal of heat.

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