IB Sibir, first serial icebreaker of Project 22220, has escorted 144 vessels by today
From December 2021, it has covered more than 59 thousand nautical miles
IB Sibir, the first serial icebreaker of Project 22220, which joined the fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers in December 2021, has escorted 144 vessels by today. By the middle of January 2023, the icebreaker covered more than 59 thousand nautical miles, says FSUE Atomflot (a company of Rosatom) in its Telegram channel.
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: 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, full displacement – 33,540 tonnes; 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.
In accordance with Presidential Decree of 2018, the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM performs the functions of a single infrastructure operator for the development of the Northern Sea Route. The company operates the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers.
As Vyacheslav Ruksha said earlier, the fleet of icebreakers operating on the Northern Sea Route should number 17 units by 2030 and 22 units by 2035. That number of icebreakers is needed to ensure cargo traffic of 150 and 220 million tonnes respectively.
Under the contract with FSUE Atomflot, Baltiysky Zavod is currently building two icebreakers of Project 22220 (Yakutia and Chukotka). The lead icebreaker in the series, Arktika, and two serial icebreakers, Sibir and Ural, have already been put into operation. Besides, Shipbuilding Complex “Zvezda” (Bolshoy Kamen, Primorsky Territory) is building a nuclear-powered icebreaker of Leader type.
In late December 2022, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a Decree on allocations for construction of the 5th and the 6th icebreakers of Project 22220. RUB 60 billion will be allocated from the federal budget between 2023 and 2030. Total construction cost of the 5th icebreaker is estimated at RUB 56.6 billion. RUB 28.3 billion will be allocated from the budget. The delivery is scheduled for 2028 год. Total construction cost of the 6th icebreaker is estimated at RUB 61.3 billion. RUB 30.6 billion will be allocated from the budget. The delivery is scheduled for 2030.
Related links:
Contracts for construction of 5th and 6th icebreakers of Project 22220 may be signed in December 2022 – Vyacheslav Ruksha >>>>
NSR fleet of icebreakers to number 17 units by 2030 and 22 units by 2035 – Vyacheslav Ruksha >>>>
Main Directorate of NSR warns about lack of icebreakers >>>>
