"Will strengthen Russia's position": what makes the world's most powerful nuclear icebreaker "Arktika" unique

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin took part in the ceremony of acceptance of the lead universal nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 "Arktika".

According to the head of the Russian government, the ship is equipped with innovative equipment and a powerful engine.

“The construction of this vessel required a lot of effort and well-coordinated work.

Moreover, the first stage (construction -

) coincided with the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions.

But despite this, the icebreaker was built.

And, what is especially important - at Russian shipyards, at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.

This is yet another confirmation of the great capabilities of Russian scientists and specialists in nuclear shipbuilding, ”Mishustin said. 

The Arctic will be operated by Atomflot FSUE (part of Rosatom).

The ship is intended for independent pilotage of vessels, including large-capacity vessels, in the western region of the Arctic.

Due to the variable draft, the icebreaker can not only be used in the ocean, but also enter the mouths of the polar rivers - the Yenisei and Ob.

Project 22220 was created in 2009 within the walls of the Iceberg Central Design Bureau (St. Petersburg).

Strategic challenge

Arktika is the largest and most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world today.

Its laying took place in November 2013, launching - in June 2016.

In December 2019, sea trials of the ship began to check the propulsion electric installation, maneuvering characteristics from standby diesel generators, navigation equipment and life support systems.

In early October 2020, the captain of the Arktika delivery team, Oleg Shchapin, said that the ship had confirmed the characteristics laid down in the project.

• Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the icebreaker "Arktika"

• © Alexander Astafiev / RIA Novosti

On October 12, the Arktika arrived from St. Petersburg to the port of registration of Murmansk.

The vessel covered about 4800 nautical miles (about 9 thousand km), of which about 1030 miles (more than 1900 km) in ice.

During the passage, the icebreaker reached the geographic point of the North Pole.

As Konstantin Knyazevsky, head of the FSUE Atomflot representative office in St. Petersburg, said, Arktika successfully crossed all ice fields at 50% capacity.

According to him, "this was achieved thanks to the unique contours of the ship's hull."

"Arctic" is equipped with an innovative pressurized nuclear reactor "RITM-200" developed by OKBM named after II Afrikantov (Nizhny Novgorod).

The power plant was designed taking into account modern trends in the development of the world nuclear energy and has no analogues in the world.

"RITM-200" is almost two times lighter and more compact, respectively, cheaper in terms of material consumption and takes up less space on the ship, and therefore is more cost-effective.

Structurally, such a solution is achieved due to the fact that the steam generators, which were previously outside the reactor, are now located directly in it (integral layout) ", - explains FSUE Atomflot.

RITM-200 is a two-reactor type installation.

Its total thermal power reaches 350 MW, and the shaft power indicator is 60 MW.

The displacement of the "Arctic" is 33.5 thousand tons, the length of the hull is 173.3 m, the width is 34 m, the height is 15.2 m, the draft is 10.5 m / 8.65 m, the speed in clear water is 22 knots (40.7 km / h), crew size - 53 people.

The ship is capable of breaking ice up to 2.9 m thick.

Currently, the Baltic Shipyard is building three ships of Project 22220: Siberia, Ural, Yakutia.

They should go into operation in 2021, 2022, 2024.

In 2021, the fifth icebreaker Chukotka will be laid down with a deadline for delivery to the customer in 2026.

Funding for the construction of ships is carried out at the expense of budget funds and the attraction of funds from the state corporation "Rosatom".

The new ships will replace the gradually decommissioning nuclear icebreakers of Soviet designs.

Currently, Russia continues to use four such vessels: Taimyr, Vaygach, Yamal and 50 Let Pobedy.

In a commentary to RT, Vladimir Pushkaryov, deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on regional policy and problems of the North and the Far East, said that the replacement of Soviet icebreakers is being carried out as planned.

• Nuclear icebreaker "Arktika" in polar ice

• © rosatomflot.ru

“The construction of icebreakers will undoubtedly strengthen Russia's position in the Arctic.

Our country is timely creating new vessels capable of operating in high latitudes.

It is important to do this, since other countries are also taking certain steps in this direction, ”said Pushkarev.

As the deputy noted, the modernization of the nuclear icebreaker fleet is a strategic task for modern Russia.

According to him, the commissioning of new ships will make it possible to effectively develop the economy of the Russian Arctic.

In particular, the icebreakers of Project 22220 will ensure the achievement of the planned volume of cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) of 80 million tons by 2024.

The main driver of traffic growth in the Arctic is the expanding capacity of PJSC Novatek's project in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug for liquefied natural gas (Yamal-LNG).

The Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic expects that by 2030 the cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route will increase to 120 million tons, and by 2035 - to 160 million tons.

"Provide year-round navigation"

In a conversation with RT, Valery Zhuravel, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that Arktika, like other nuclear-powered ships of project 22220, is the embodiment of the latest technological solutions.

According to him, it is extremely important that the icebreaker has already been tested at the North Pole during the transition to Murmansk.

“Russia ranks first in the world in terms of the number and quality of icebreakers.

We have more than 40 icebreakers, including nuclear powered ones, according to the maritime register of shipping.

The operation of new icebreakers is necessary mainly to ensure the growth of cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route.

This is our national transport artery, ”Zhuravel said.

In an interview with RT, the polar explorer, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences Viktor Boyarsky noted that the ships of project 22220 would allow for the safe conduct of trade caravans in the western direction of the NSR.

According to the expert, in terms of technical characteristics, the "Arktika" is noticeably superior to the icebreakers of the Soviet period.

“In the USSR, it was necessary to use separate icebreakers to enter river mouths.

However, the two-draft design of Project 22220 ships completely solves this important problem.

Russia has got universal icebreakers, which will be engaged in pilotage in the Yenisei region, the Ob Bay and in the vastness of the Northern Sea Route, ”- Boyarsky.

At the same time, as the expert explained, the ships of project 22220 will not be able to provide year-round navigation along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route.

This task is entrusted to Project 10510 "Leader", whose ships are capable of breaking ice 4 m thick. In July 2020, the construction of the lead ship of Project 10510 - "Russia" began at the Far Eastern shipyard "Zvezda".

“Investments in the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet should ultimately ensure year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route, with a commercial speed of 11-12 knots (20.3-22.2 km / h).

Much will still depend on the ice situation (the ice cover is melting in the Arctic. -

), but I think that the plans will come true - our icebreaker fleet will receive everything it needs for uninterrupted navigation in high latitudes, "Boyarsky concluded.