Nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural of Project 22220 leaves Murmansk for the first operational voyage
The icebreaker will operate in the Ob-Yenisei area of the Kara Sea
Murmansk base of FSUE Atomflot (a company of Rosatom) has hosted the ceremony for the second serial icebreaker of Project 22220, Ural, leaving for its first operational voyage has been held today, December 2. The crew of the multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreaker will operate in the Ob-Yenisei area of the Kara Sea, says the company.
The ceremony was attended by Vyacheslav Ruksha, Deputy General Director of Rosatom - Director of the Northern Sea Route Directorate; Olga Kuznetsova, Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region; Sergey Dubovoy, Chairman of the Murmansk Region Duma; Leonid Irlitsa, Acting General Director of FSUE Atomflot; Aleksey Kadilo, General Director of Baltiysky Zavod and other honored guests.
Vyacheslav Ruksha congratulated the crew and the captain of the Ural nuclear icebreaker, thanked the designers and all the enterprises involved in the construction for their contribution. “The icebreaker is practically 90% Russian product. I hope we will overcome the remaining 10% in the near future for domestic production of the required equipment. The icebreaker was built to operate for 40 years. Russia will feel confident for the coming 40 years and later, for 100 years, in the Arctic basin,” he said.
The ceremonies of raising RF flag on the Ural icebreaker and launching of the Yakutia icebreaker were held at Baltiysky Zavod on 22 November 2022. The President of the Russian Federation attended the ceremonies via videoconference. Ural left Saint-Petersburg for its homeport Murmansk on 23 November 2022.
Ural is the third ship of Project 22220 built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. Laid down on 25 July 2016, it was launched on 26 May 2019. The ship is to be delivered to FSUE Atomflot in November 2022. The construction was supervised by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
Under the contract with Rosatom, Baltiysky Zavod will build five icebreakers of Project 22220. The lead icebreaker Arktika and the first serial icebreaker Sibir have already been put into operation. The shipyard is currently building the Yakutia and the Chukotka. Their delivery is scheduled for 2024 and 2026 accordingly.
Multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220 ships are the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaking ships. Icebreakers of 22220 design will form the basis of Russia’s civil icebreaking fleet in the near time.
Key particulars of Project 22220: LOA - 173.3 m (160 m, DWL), beam - 34 m (33 m, DWL), depth – 15.2 m; height - 52 m; draft (DWL) - 10.5 m; minimum draft – 9.2 m; maximum icebreaking capability - 2.8-meter-thick ice (at full capacity and speed of 1.5-2 knots); designated service life - 40 years, crew - 53.
Their key task is to ensure year-round navigation in the western Arctic, escorting of ships in shallow areas of the Yenisei estuary and the Gulf of Ob, towing of ships and floating facilities in ice-covered and ice-free waters; participation in rescue operations in ice-covered and ice-free waters. The icebreakers are built to RS class.
Related links:
Nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural leaves Saint-Petersburg for its homeport Murmansk >>>>
Ceremony to raise RF flag on nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural held at Baltiysky Zavod >>>>
