The launching ceremony of the world’s largest nuclear icebreaker took place at the Baltijskiy Zavod in Saint-Petersburg

On the 16th of June 2016 the Baltijskiy Zavod – Sudostroenie (shipbuilding) (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) has launched the pilot nuclear icebreaker Arktika (Project 22220), which is built to the order of ROSATOM.

The ceremony was attended by Chairwoman of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko; Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in North-West District Vladimir Bulavin; Governor of Murmansk Region Marina Kovtun; CEO of ROSATOM Sergey Kirienko; General Director of FSUE Atomflot Vyacheslav Ruksha; and others.

In the presence of several thousands of spectators, Valentina Matvienko smashed the traditional bottle of champagne on the board, launching the largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker in the world. “Today, the nuclear industry of Russia has the important day. The world’s largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker Arktika has left the slipway. For many polar explorers, it is the meaning of life to develop the Arctic. I am certain the icebreaker Arktika will give the new impetus to the development of the Arctic,” she said in her welcoming speech.

In his welcoming speech, Sergey Kirienko noted: “The today’s event is an enormous victory in all senses! Large work has been done; there are no analogues of the icebreaker such as the Arktika in the world. Thanks to the team of the Baltijskiy Zavod, everything has been done on schedule and the Arktika will come on-stream. This icebreaker is most up-to-date by its parameters; all technical capabilities which have never been used on other vessels are implemented here. The icebreaker Arktika means real new opportunities for our country!”

“The first series-made icebreaker is already on the slipway and in September this year the keel of the second series icebreaker will be laid,” General Director of FSUE Atomflot Vyacheslav Ruksha said. “We are facing the task of commissioning the pilot nuclear icebreaker Arktika by the end of December 2017. This is due date laid down in the contract terms. We hope our partners will be reliable and fulfill their obligations,” he said.

The universal nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220 is on, FSUE Atomflot’s major task will be the support of all-year-round navigation along the entire Northern Sea Route: delivery of hydrocarbons to the Pacific Asia markets.

For information:

The pilot nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220 is built to the class of the Russian Marine Register of Shipping (RS) at the Baltijskiy Zavod – Sudostroenie by order of ROSATOM (the keel was laid on November 5, 2013). It will be the largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker in the world. The icebreaker is designed for independent steering of ships (including large tonnage ones) and leading caravans in the West Arctic all-year-round. The double-draft design of the ship makes possible to use her both in the Arctic and in estuaries of the Polar rivers (in particular, in shallow water of the Yenissei River (Dudinka) and the Gulf of Ob). The icebreaker can be also used for towing ships and other vessels in the ice and open water, rendering assistance to ships, and carrying out rescue operations in the ice and open water. The maximum thickness of solid even fast ice the icebreaker can overcome is 2.9 meters.

Private institution of Atomic Energy Power Corporation has been established for the development and management of regional representative offices of Rosatom all over the world. The main objectives of the company are supporting of the Rosatom divisions activity at the foreign markets, searching for new business opportunities, promotion of production and services of the Russian nuclear industry enterprises at the global market, assistance in creating effective business alliances, marketing and PR support of Rosatom enterprises; performing other functions in the sphere of international business by order of Rosatom and its divisions.

One Raffles Place, Tower 2, #19–61; Singapore

This release was published on openPR.