October 21, 2020 17: 10: 03 “RZhD-Partner.RU”: Water transport / News
The state corporation “Rosatom” hopes in 2025 to contract the construction of two more multi-purpose nuclear icebreakers (MPNI) of 22220 project. Their commissioning can take place in 2030. This follows from the presentation by Mr. Vyacheslav Ruksha, “Rosatom” Deputy Director General and Head of the Northern Sea Route Directorate at a meeting on the development of the Northern Sea Route chaired by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin which was held on Wednesday, October 21, TASS reports.
“We are talking about the fifth and sixth icebreakers of this project, it is planned to build them at the Baltic Shipyard. Taking into account the lead icebreaker ‘Arktika’, which was commissioned on October 21, 2020 the number of icebreakers of this project can reach seven.
At the meeting, Mr. Ruksha noted that Russia should continue the program for the construction of new nuclear icebreakers to ensure the transportation of cargo via the Eastern Arctic.
At present, two more icebreakers of this project are on the final stages of construction – ‘Siberia’ and ‘Ural’; the ‘Yakutia’ icebreaker was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard earlier this year. The laying of another icebreaker of this project, ‘Chukotka’, is expected in the near future.
In addition to the first nuclear-powered super-icebreaker of the ‘Leader’ class which is currently being built at “Zvezda” shipyard in Bolshoi Kamen, the second and third icebreakers of this class may be laid in 2024 and 2026 respectively, according to the presentation. Their commissioning is expected after 2030. A series of fundamentally new nuclear-powered vessels of project 22220, created to solve strategic tasks for the exploration and development of the Arctic, will provide year-round navigation in the Western region of Russian Arctic. It will allow reaching the required level of cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route (80 million tons after 2024). The unique double-draft design allows the use of nuclear-powered ships of 22220 project both in deep water and in the estuaries of polar rivers. This advantage makes the vessel versatile and increases the geography of its operation.