Icebreaker Sibir of Project 22220 completed main part of shipbuilder’s sea trials
The Sibir spent over a fortnight in the Gulf of Finland waters
The first serial icebreaker of Project 22220, Sibir, has completed the main part of the shipbuilder’s sea trials today, 30 November 2021, and returned to Baltiysky Zavod (a company of United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC), the shipyard says on its Instagram page.
The Sibir spent over a fortnight in the Gulf of Finland waters. Over this period, the trial team, together with the ship crew and representatives of the contractors, have tested the operation of the icebreaker’s mechanisms and equipment including the steam-turbine plant, electric propulsion systems, shaft line and deck machinery (anchor handling and steering units).
Speed and maneuvering characteristics of the icebreaker have also been checked in the field as well as functioning of ship's service systems, automatics, communication and navigation systems.
In the near time, specialists of Baltiysky Zavod will conduct corrective actions to remove faults revealed during the trials. The ship delivery to the customer is expected before the end of this year.
The Sibir is the second ship of Project 22220 built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. Laid down on 26 May 2015, it was launched on 22 September 2017. The delivery is scheduled for the end of the current year.
Multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220 ships are the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaking ships. Their key task is to ensure year-round navigation in the western Arctic. Icebreakers of 22220 design will form the basis of Russia’s civil icebreaking fleet in the near time.
Key particulars of Project 22220: capacity - 60 MW, operational speed - 22 knots (clean water), LOA - 173.3 m (160 m, DWL), beam - 34 m (33 m, DWL), height - 52 m; draft (DWL) - 10.5 m; minimum draft - 8.65 m, maximum icebreaking capability - 2.8-meter-thick ice (at full capacity and speed of 1.5-2 knots); full displacement – 33,540 tonnes; designated service life - 40 years, crew - 53.
The icebreaker will be powered by a pair RITM-200 reactors of 175 MW. The new generation system was developed specially for this ship. The vessels dual-draft concept and capability will allow operating them both in the Arctic and in the mouths of the polar rivers.
The icebreakers designed by naval architecture and marine engineering firm CDB Iceberg in 2009 will be operated in the western region of the Arctic: in the Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas, as well as in shallower areas of the Yenisei estuary and the Ob Bay area.
Under the contract with FSUE Rosatomflot, Baltiysky Zavod shipyard is building a series of five nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220. The lead icebreaker named Arktika was put into operation in 2020, The Sibir, Ural, Yakutia and Chukotka icebreakers are under construction. The series can be extended to 7 icebreakers.
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