In a big milestone, the decommissioning of the Navy’s radiologically impacted Floor Ship Help Barge (SSSB) has been accomplished on the Alabama Shipyard, close to Cellular, Alabama. The SSSB performed an important position in supporting the upkeep operations of nuclear-powered plane carriers and cruisers of the U.S. Navy for over 50 years.
The SSSB was a transformed dockside refueling barge that served as the first platform for refueling, defueling, and related upkeep of reactor parts from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered floor ships at Newport Information Shipbuilding from 1964 to 2016. It underwent dismantlement and disposal beginning in 2020, together with the demolition of the previous spent gas water pool. The dismantlement web site was formally turned again over to Alabama Shipyard on September thirtieth, signifying the completion of the venture.
“This historic platform was an integral a part of the Navy’s nuclear-powered ship upkeep efforts for many years,” mentioned RDML Casey Moton, Program Government Officer for Plane Carriers. “The Navy-industry crew main the dismantlement has honored that legacy, displaying the identical revolutionary spirit that has been driving the secure modernization and revolutionary development of the nation’s plane carriers during the last 60 years.”
The dismantlement and disposal of the SSSB have been carried out by APTIM Federal Providers, LLC, underneath a three-year, $129 million contract awarded by NAVSEA in June 2020. The hazardous remediation specialists from APTIM labored meticulously to take away and safe hazardous supplies, making certain the protection of staff, the general public, and the setting all through the method. The dismantled parts have been fastidiously packaged and transported to a regulated facility in Andrews, Texas, for correct disposal.
The SSSB has a exceptional historical past, beginning because the mid-section of the WWII-era Navy T2-class tanker ship SS Cantigny in-built 1945 by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Firm, now the Alabama Shipyard. In 1964, it was transformed right into a nuclear assist facility referred to as the Prototype Waterborne Expended Gas Container (PWEFC). The platform underwent vital upgrades and repairs through the years, extending its service life and incomes the identify Floor Ship Help Barge (SSSB).
Throughout its 52 years of service at Newport Information Shipbuilding, the SSSB supported refueling operations for numerous nuclear-powered cruisers and plane carriers, together with the USS Nimitz, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Carl Vinson, USS Theodore Roosevelt, and USS Abraham Lincoln. Its decommissioning marks the Navy’s progress in incorporating technological developments in executing advanced overhauls and mid-life refueling of plane carriers.
“The Navy now has the capability to handle and package deal spent gas modules into sturdy delivery containers as required in actual time, with out the necessity for an intermediate facility just like the SSSB spent gas water pool,” mentioned Capt. Mark Johnson, supervisor of the PEO CVN In-Service Plane Service Program Workplace. “This development streamlines refueling actions and expedites readiness throughout the upkeep enterprise, finally delivering warships again to fleet operators.”
